For many homeowners and businesses, brush clearance is a year-round responsibility. Underwood Landscape can assist you in brush clearance and in ensuring you are in full compliance with County regulations.

Brush Clearance Overview
You are only required to bring your own property into compliance, but must provide clearance on any portion of your property that lies within 200 feet of ANY structure (yours or a neighbors) as follows:

• Clear ALL native brush, grass and weeds within the first 100 feet surrounding any structure.
• Reduce the amount and/or modify the arrangement of native brush, grass and weeds within the area comprising a second 100 feet for a total distance of 200 feet from any structure.

In all areas within 100 feet of any structure
Cut all NATIVE brush, grass and weeds to a maximum height of 3 inches. Leaving the 3-inch stubble and the root structure in the ground protects against soil erosion.

Within 100 feet of structures, single trees, landscape shrubbery and cultivated groundcovers are allowed, provided they are maintained in such a manner that they do not provide a “fuel bridge” from areas of native vegetation to structures.

You may keep native plants in this portion of your property, but only if :

• They are over 18 feet from all structures, AND
• They are “trimmed up” so that there is no foliage in the bottom third of the plant, AND
• They have had all dead material removed, AND
• provided the plant is not listed as “hazardous native brush.”

Plants that meet these guidelines are referred to as a "specimen native shrub."

In all areas within 200 feet of any structure, but further than 100 feet from any structure
This area is referred to as the “Fuel Modification Zone.” When clearance is required in this portion of your property, heavy brush must be “trimmed up” so that all foliage in the lower third of the plant is removed. Remove any dead plants ( leave the lowest 3” and root structure to help prevent erosion.) Remove dead material from live plants. All cut material shall be removed or processed as follows: Cut material may be machine processed and left on the property in this area to a maximum depth 6”. Machine processed material shall not be placed within 10 feet of usable road surfaces or driveways.

In all areas within 10 feet of roads or driveways
Cut all NATIVE brush, grass and weeds to a maximum height of 3 inches. Leaving the 3-inch stubble and the root structure in the ground protects against soil erosion. Property owners are responsible for clearance on their property and to the center of any usable public roadway adjacent to their property. For more information refer to the City Attorney's Report.

In all areas within 10 feet of combustible fences
Cut all NATIVE brush, grass and weeds to a maximum height of 3 inches. Leaving the 3-inch stubble and the root structure in the ground protects against soil erosion.

Within 10 feet of any chimney
Cut trees to provide 10 feet of clearance in all directions from chimney outlets.

Within 5 feet of all roof surfaces
Cut trees and vegetation to provide 5 feet of clearance above the roof surface. Clean all dead leaves from your roof and rain gutters. Cover your chimney outlet with an approved spark arrestor consisting of a metal or non-flammable screen of ½ inch or smaller mesh.

Useful Publications

• Plant Identification Guide (7.6MB)
  Identify which plants you have on your property.
  
• Fuel Modification Plan (1MB)
  This publication was prepared to establish a set of guidelines and landscape criteria for all new construction that would implement an ordinance relating to fuel modification planning and help reduce the threat of fire in high hazard areas.
• Fire Ants (0.5MB)
  See how you can help The Los Angeles County
  with the RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT PROGRAM.
• Vegetation Management (0.6MB)
  Vegetation management in the wildland-urban interface of Los Angeles County