California Code of Regulations › Title 19 - Public Safety › Division 1 - State Fire Marshal › Chapter 1 - General Fire and Panic Safety Standards › Subchapter 1 - Administration › Article 3 - General Provisions › Section 3.07 - Clearances

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a)
					 General. No combustible material shall be placed or stored within 10 feet of
					 any building or structure.
(b)
					 Ground Clearance. The space surrounding every building or structure shall be
					 maintained in accordance with the following:
Any person that owns, leases, controls, operates, or
						maintains any building or structure in, upon, or adjoining any mountainous area
						or forest-covered lands, brush covered lands, or grass-covered lands, or any
						land which is covered with flammable material, shall at all times do all of the
						following:
(1) Maintain around and
					 adjacent to such building or structure a firebreak made by removing and
					 clearing away, for a distance of not less than 30 feet on each side thereof or
					 to the property line, whichever is nearer, all flammable vegetation or other
					 combustible growth. This section does not apply to single specimens of trees,
					 ornamental shrubbery, or similar plants which are used as ground cover, if they
					 do not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from the native growth to any
					 building or structure.
(2) Maintain
					 around and adjacent to any such building or structure additional fire
					 protection or firebreak made by removing all bush, flammable vegetation, or
					 combustible growth which is located from 30 feet to 100 feet from such building
					 or structure or to the property line, whichever is nearer, as may be required
					 by the enforcing agency if he finds that, because of extra hazardous
					 conditions, a firebreak of only 30 feet around such building or structure is
					 not sufficient to provide reasonable fire safety. Grass and other vegetation
					 located more than 30 feet from such building or structure and less than 18
					 inches in height above the ground may be maintained where necessary to
					 stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.
(3) Remove that portion of any tree which
					 extends within 10 feet of the outlet of any chimney or stovepipe.
(4) Cut and remove all dead or dying portions
					 of trees located adjacent to or overhanging any building.
(5) Maintain the roof of any structure free
					 of leaves, needles, or other dead vegetative growth.
(6) Provide and maintain at all times a
					 screen over the outlet of every chimney or stovepipe that is attached to any
					 fireplace, stove, or other device that burns any solid or liquid fuel. The
					 screen shall be constructed of nonflammable material with openings of not more
					 than ½ inch in size.
(7)
					 Hazardous vegetation and fuels around all applicable buildings and structures
					 shall be maintained in accordance with the following laws and regulations:
(A) Public Resources Code Section
					 4291.
(B) California Code of Regulations Title 14,
					 Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 3, Section
					 1299 (see guidance for
					 implementation "General Guideline to Create Defensible Space").
(C) California Government Code Section
					 51182.
(D) California Code of Regulations, Title 24,
					 Part 9, Chapter 49.