Vegetation Management
Acceptable plants are listed in the approved fuel modification
plant list, Wildland-Urban
Interface Development Standards, June 1997 Revision. Additional
plants may be added to the landscape Plant Material Palette with
approval from the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District and the
County of San Diego.
Hazard Abatement Requirements
Appointments are available for on-site education regarding wildfire
safety and vegetation-hazard abatement. To schedule an appointment
or discuss a violation issue, please call (858) 756-5971.
The Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District's Hazard Abatement
Program is a year-round effort designed to reduce vegetation hazards
for the protection of lives and property in the event of a major
conflagration.
The property owner or manager of a property is responsible for
the following:
- Maintain properties in compliance with the below requirements
at all times.
- Maintain an effective defensible space or fuel modification
zone around all structures or along fire apparatus access roads,
including private residential driveways, by modifying all flammable
vegetation as described below.
- Remove and properly dispose of trash, rubbish, debris, and other
combustible materials that create a fire hazard.
Requirement #1 - Defensible Space Around
Structures
Requirement #2 - Roadway Clearance
Additional Requirements
Contact Us
Requirement #1 - Defensible Space
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Property owners are required to remove and/or modify native brush
and grasses within 100 feet of any structure either on or adjacent
to the property. Any species of non-native plants may exist in this
area if it is properly maintained; see Vegetation Management Ordinance
02-01 and the Wildland
Urban Interface Development Standards, June 1997 Revision for
additional guidelines.
- Mature trees (preferably fire resistive) of any type must be:
- Skirted up at least six feet above surrounding vegetation
- Kept at least ten feet from any chimney or stovepipe
- Trimmed a minimum of ten feet above a combustible roof
- Free of all dead or dying plants, trees or parts thereof
(These are minimum requirements that may not provide adequate
clearance for homes with shake roofs).
- Any accumulation of flammable vegetation or combustible materials
must be removed within ten feet of an above-ground propane tank.
- Firewood must be neatly stacked and stored 30 feet from all
structures. All flammable vegetation and combustible materials
must be cleared or removed within 30 feet of firewood stacks.
Unimproved Property: Owners of unimproved property must
comply with all requirements mentioned above if part of the unimproved
property lies within 100 feet of an adjacent structure, regardless
of ownership. The unimproved portion that is within 100 feet of
a structure must comply with requirements listed here within.
- Property owners shall be required to mow or disc the entire
unimproved property when it is covered with weeds and annual grasses.
- Roadway clearance requirements must be met and maintained year
round per Fire District ordinances as specified in Requirement
No. 2 below. Property owners may be required to mow, disc or clear
vegetation more than once a season under certain conditions.
Requirement #2 - Roadway Clearance
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- Property owners are required to modify or thin brush and native
grasses for 30 feet along each side of a roadway or access road
(public or private).
- Thirteen feet, six inches (13'6") vertical tree clearance
must be maintained along roadways.
- A continual line of trees with intermingled crowns close to
driveways or roadways presents special problems; 20 feet of space
between tree canopies is optimal.
- Selection, spacing, and maintenance of trees are critical in
high fire hazard areas; this is essential if the roadway is to
remain open when fire sweeps through. If vegetation is too close
to the roadside, the road can become a tunnel of fire, forcing
vehicles to drive in the center. Proper vertical tree clearance
allows two-way traffic for evacuation purposes and fire apparatus
access; a must during a wildfire!
Acceptable Methods for Fuel Modification and Removal
- Fuel modification may be done using methods, such as mowing
and trimming that leave the plant root structure intact to stabilize
the soil. Discing, which exposes bare mineral soil, may be used
if deemed necessary by the Fire District.
- Fuel modification of properties may be accomplished by methods
that will not disturb native soil or rootstock. Grading shall
not be used to clear the property without a valid County of San
Diego Department of Planning and Land Use grading permit.
- Selective thinning of native chaparral may be approved by the
Fire District. Cuttings may be mulched and left on top of the
soil to a maximum depth of six inches or may be hauled to an approved
County landfill site.
- Mature trees must be trimmed to six feet above the ground or
as approved by the District and must be cut back at least ten
feet from chimneys.
- All leaves, bark, and other debris must be removed from the
roof and rain gutters.
Additional Weed Abatement Requirements
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Requirements pertain to all portions of a property or parcel.
Eucalyptus and Conifer Trees: Eucalyptus and conifer (any
of the cone-bearing, gymnospermous trees and shrubs, mostly evergreen,
including the pine, spruce, fir, cedar, yew, and cypress) trees
are highly flammable and extremely combustible under the right
conditions. The Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District highly
discourages the planting of any additional non-fire resistive
trees near a combustible structure, and recommends thinning and
maintaining those already existing on your property. Remove all
fallen limbs, litter, debris and loose bark from trees and the
ground. Remove ground leaves to a depth not to exceed three inches.
For more information about fire resistive trees, please see our
Desirable
Tree List (pdf).
Landscape Cuttings: Highly flammable dead and discarded
growth cannot be dumped or discarded on public or private land.
Properly maintained mulch piles are allowed, and chipping is encouraged
and can be spread to a height not to exceed six inches. Property
owners who have areas with dumped or discarded landscape cuttings
are asked to remove them, as they are an extreme fire hazard to
the entire community.
Dead and/or Dying Trees: All dead and/or dying trees,
groves or forests shall be removed as well as dead branches and
foliage.
Active / Inactive Groves: All groves shall be maintained
in a healthy state. All dead growth must be removed. All trimmings,
ground litter, and under story (e.g., forbs or grasses) shall
be cleared to mineral soil. A mulch layer can be spread underneath
the tree's canopy to a height not to exceed six inches.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas: Property owners who have
been notified of a rare, threatened, or endangered species/plant
on their property must contact the California Department of Fish
& Game at least ten days prior to the commencement of work
to meet the Fire District's abatement requirements. If the landowner
is aware of any state or federal listed species on their property,
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the California Department
of Fish & Game should be notified prior to the abatement.
Private Communities: The Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection
District continues to work with private communities to create
plans for increased neighborhood fire safety. Check with your
homeowners association regarding their easements, setbacks, etc.,
prior to beginning your abatement projects. All property owners
are required to meet the Fire District's fire safety and weed
abatement standards, including Association-owned easement areas.
Contact Us
For answers to your basic questions about vegetation management, please contact us via email at Ask-FireMarshal@rsf-fire.org. If more in depth information is needed please call us 858-756-5971 and make an appointment. Thank you.
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