Section 4907.1 is amended and Section 4907.4 is added to the California Fire Code to read as follows:
4907.1 General. Hazardous vegetation and fuels shall be managed to reduce the severity of potential exterior wildfire exposure to buildings and to reduce the risk of fire spreading to buildings as required by applicable laws and regulations. Defensible space will be managed around all buildings and structures in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) as required in Public Resources Code 4291. Persons owning, leasing, controlling, operating or maintaining buildings or structures in, upon or adjoining the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area and persons owning, leasing or controlling land adjacent to such buildings or structures, shall at all times:
1. Maintain an effective defensible space by removing and clearing away flammable vegetation and combustible growth from areas within 30 feet (9144 mm) of such buildings or structures.
Exception: Single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or similar plants used as ground covers, provided that they do not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from the native growth to any structure.
2. Maintain additional effective defensible space by removing brush, flammable vegetation and combustible growth located 30 feet to 100 feet (9144 mm to 30480 mm) from such buildings or structures, when required by the fire code official due to steepness of terrain or other conditions that would cause a defensible space of only 30 feet (9144 mm) to be insufficient.
Exception: Grass and other vegetation located more than 30 feet (9144 mm) from buildings or structures and less than 18 inches (457 mm) in height above the ground need not be removed where necessary to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.
3. Remove portions of trees, which extend within 10 feet (3048 mm) of the outlet of a chimney.
4. Maintain trees adjacent to or overhanging a building free of deadwood.
5. Maintain the roof of a structure free of leaves, needles or other dead vegetative growth.
6. Remove flammable vegetation a minimum of 10 feet around liquefied petroleum gas tanks/containers.
7. Firewood and combustible materials shall not be stored in unenclosed spaces beneath buildings or structures, or on decks or under eaves, canopies or other projections or overhangs. The storage of firewood and combustible material within the defensible space shall be located a minimum of 30 feet (6096 mm) from structures and separated from the crown of trees by a minimum horizontal distance of 15 feet (4572 mm).
Exception: Firewood and combustible materials not for consumption on the premises shall be stored as approved by the fire code official.
8. Clear areas within 10 feet (3048 mm) of fire apparatus access roads and driveways to of non-fire-resistive vegetation growth.
Exception: Grass and other vegetation located more than 30 feet (9144 mm) from buildings or structures and less than 18 inches (457 mm) in height above the ground need not be removed where necessary to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.
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4907.4 Corrective Actions. The executive body is authorized to instruct the fire code official to give notice to the owner of the property upon which conditions regulated by Section 4907.1 exist to correct such conditions. If the owner fails to correct such conditions, the executive body is authorized to cause the same to be done and make the expense of such correction a lien upon the property where such condition exists.
(Ord. 5563 § 1 (part), 2022)