Mitigation

The application of these Hazard Reduction and Vegetation Clearance requirements reduce the risk of fire on your property. 

Following is a discussion of these requirements and what our inspectors look for.  These regulations apply year-round to all properties, whether vacant or improved.

HAZARD REDUCTION AND VEGETATION CLEARANCE STANDARDS

1. Trash, rubbish, debris, and other combustible materials that create a fire hazard must be removed from the property and properly disposed of.   Trash, discarded car parts, appliances, and other debris detract from a home’s looks, but it can also increase the speed and spread of a fire in addition to hampering firefighting efforts. 

2. Properties of one (1) acre or less shall be cleared of hazards in their entirety.   If your property size is under an acre, the entire property needs to be cleared of fire hazards, including overgrown annual weeds, trash and debris, dead trees and bushes, and any other material that would increase the fire risk to your home.   This does not mean that irrigated or non-hazardous landscaping must be removed.  A large number of attractive plants are fire resistant – they are drought-tolerant, grow close to the ground, have a low sap or resin content, grow without accumulating dead branches, needles or leaves, and are easily maintained and pruned.

3. Properties of more than one (1) acre shall have one hundred (100') feet clearance from structures and fifty (50') feet clearance around the perimeter.  Distance shall be measured in a horizontal plane.   Our greatest concern is for the safety of the structures on your property and that of your neighbor’s, which might otherwise be at risk of fire.   This does not refer to every part of a lot larger than an acre, but those areas adjacent to structures and the property line must be cleared.

The diagram below shows the required 100-foot fuel modification zone that extends outward in all directions from all structures.  Two 50-foot zones are encouraged as shown below.

By clearing vegetation on either side, you are reducing that risk.   Fire engines also need a clearance of 13 feet, 6 inches from the roadway surface to the bottom branches of any tree.

5. Contiguous parcels (by the same owner) may be considered as one parcel for the purposes of abatement.   To reduce fire spread and allow firefighter access, property needs to be cleared 50 feet from the perimeter of a property to make certain that brush is not too close to structures on the next lot.  If two lots with the same borderline have the same owner, the issue is not the same and the 50-foot clearance is not required.  

7. Clearance of properties shall be accomplished by methods that will not disturb native soil or rootstock.  Grading shall not be used to clear properties without a valid City/County Grading Permit.  To protect the soil from erosion, the existing land should not be “disced” or cut into to remove vegetation by a tractor or other large-scale equipment.  If grading, or cutting into the soil to change the existing contours of the land, a permit is required.  Generally speaking, mowing, cutting, and grazing are the best methods for clearing an area of annual weeds and/or grass.

8. Native chaparral may be thinned as approved by the Fire Department.  Cuttings may be mulched and left on top of the soil to a maximum depth of six (6") inches or may be hauled to an approved County landfill site.  Native chaparral, or the stiff, thorny, small-leaved shrubs that were originally found here, can be thinned rather than mowed, but by Fire Department standards.  If mulched, the depth of six inches should not be exceeded or spontaneous combustion is more likely to occur as the material decomposes and generates heat.

This tree’s branches are too close to the ground, allowing fire to spread easily from the bushes below.

This tree has been "limbed up" to prevent the spread of fire and the bushes have been thinned to reduce the likelihood that fire will spread.

10. Property must be maintained with these requirements at all times.  As we should all be aware, wildfires can happen in Southern California at any time during the year – not just during “fire season.”  In order to make certain that your property – and your neighbors’ property – is more likely to prevent the spread of fire, it needs to be maintained to these standards year around. 

Note:   If you suspect your property may contain any rare, threatened, or endangered species or related sensitive habitat such as coastal sage or known Gnatcatcher habitat, please call the City of Escondido Planning Department at (760) 839-4671 for more information.  A permit from the City of Escondido in consultation with the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife may be required prior to clearing.  If the landowner is aware of any state or federal listed species on the property, then the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Fish and Game should be notified prior to abatement.  If a state or federal candidate or species is killed, injured and captured, the landowner shall report this information to the Department of Fish and Game or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as appropriate.  In order to protect threatened or endangered animals, certain areas my require permits in order to make changes, such as mowing, in a particular habitat.  Penalties can be severe, so if you are unsure whether or not this would apply to your property, it’s always a good idea to check first.

If you have any further questions, please call the Escondido Fire Department at (760) 839-5400.