Bergen County has limited high-risk wildfire zones compared to southern New Jersey, but wooded areas in the northwest border the Ramapo Mountains and follow NJ Forest Fire Service wildland-urban interface guidelines.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service classifies wildfire risk under N.J.S.A. 13:9 and 13:9A, designating wildland-urban interface zones primarily in northern and southern forested regions. In Bergen County, communities such as Mahwah, Oakland, Upper Saddle River, and Ramsey contain the highest-risk parcels, particularly those abutting Ramapo Mountain State Forest and Ramapo Valley County Reservation. While New Jersey does not impose statewide WUI building codes like California, the state encourages defensible space, fire-resistant roofing, and ember-resistant venting in high-risk areas. Local building codes follow the NJ Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23). The county Office of Emergency Management coordinates evacuation planning with municipalities.
Violations of forest fire orders carry fines up to $1,000 and potential liability for suppression costs, which can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars per fire.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood requires private swimming pools to be enclosed by code-compliant barriers under Chapter 251, with location restrictions setting pools at least ten ...
Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood requires zoning permits for any retaining wall over two feet tall, with engineered drawings, soil reports, and grading plans signed by a licensed N...
Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood requires that the finished, decorative side of any fence face neighboring properties or the street, with structural posts and rails facing inward, ...
Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood requires a zoning permit before constructing, replacing, or altering any fence or freestanding wall on residential property, with applications revi...
Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood limits residential fences to four feet in height in most yards, with taller heights permitted only in specific situations such as rear yards abutti...
Ridgewood, NJ
Compensated short-term rentals are prohibited in Ridgewood under Code Chapter 117, Article IX, so there is no STR guest-parking program. For any lawful 30+ d...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Bergen County.
See how other cities in Bergen County handle wildfire zones.
See how Ridgewood's wildfire zones rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.