Merced County, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Merced County's Fire Department enforces Ordinance 9.25 on all parcels in the unincorporated area, including undeveloped lots. The County's published Weed Abatement guidance confirms that 'My property is just an open field' is no exemption — open fields must still follow the County weed-abatement ordinance. Owners are required to maintain a 30-foot disced or 50-foot mowed firebreak around all property lines and structures; a 12-foot disc is expressly stated to be insufficient. Because the County's agricultural landscape produces large volumes of dry fuels, abatement is not a one-time event: a second discing or mowing may be required, and owners must maintain the parcel throughout the dry season (typically April 1 to November 1). Ordinance 9.25 also covers rubbish, debris, abandoned vehicles and rubber tires on the parcel, so a notice may cite junk in addition to vegetation. Owners remain responsible even while a property is in foreclosure (the legal owner of record on the Assessor's tax roll is liable) and even if a hired contractor or sharecropper failed to do the work. Burning weed piles is not allowed during the dry season — there are no burn days, and questions go to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.