Every owner or person in control of any land or interest therein in the unincorporated area of the County of San Bernardino shall abate all fire hazards and hazardous trees from such land and from all sidewalks, parkways, road easements and all other easements on such land. All such fire hazards and hazardous trees are declared to be a public nuisance for which the costs of abatement may be specially assessed pursuant to Government Code § 25845. To provide firefighters defensible space and to minimize the spread of fire within 100 feet of a building or structure and pursuant to the California Public Resources Code § 4291, every owner and person in control of any buildings or structures in, upon, or adjoining any mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or any land that is covered with flammable material within the unincorporated area of the County of San Bernardino shall at all times do the following:
(a) Maintain a firebreak by removing and clearing away, for a distance of not less than 30 feet on each side of the building or structure or to the property line, whichever is nearer, all flammable vegetation or other combustible growth. Single specimens of trees or other vegetation may be retained provided they are well-spaced, well-pruned as defined in § 23.0304 for mountain areas in this Chapter, and create a condition that avoids spread of fire to other vegetation or to a building or structure.
(b) Provide a fuel break within 30 feet to 100 feet of a building or structure by disrupting the vertical and/or horizontal continuity of flammable and combustible vegetation with the goal of reducing fire intensity, inhibiting fire in the crowns of trees, reducing the rate of fire spread, and providing a safer environment for firefighters to suppress wildfire and provide structure protection in and around wildland urban interface communities. Additional fire protection or firebreak shall be made by the removal of brush, flammable vegetation, or combustible growth that is located within 100 feet from the building or structure or to the property line or at a greater distance if provided by law.
(c) Property owners who do fuel reduction activities that remove or dispose of vegetation should make every effort to properly reuse and/or recycle the resultant materials either on site or at an appropriate off site facility, without creating additional fire hazards and are required to comply with all federal, state or local environmental protection laws and obtain permits when necessary. Environmental protection laws include, but are not limited to, threatened and endangered species, water quality, air quality, and cultural/archeological resources.
(Am. Ord. 3586, passed --1994; Am. Ord. 4058, passed - -2008; Am. Ord. 4064, passed - -2008)