Skip to content

Chapter 6 — FIRE PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

Section 604 — MAINTENANCE OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE

2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Title 24, Part 7.5) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-27 · California

604.1 General.

Hazardous vegetation and fuels shall be managed to reduce the severity of potential exterior wildfire exposure to build- ings and to reduce the risk of fire spreading to buildings as required by applicable laws and regulations.

Defensible space shall be managed around all buildings and structures in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) as required in Public Resources Code 4291.

604.2 Application.

Buildings and structures located in the following areas shall maintain the required hazardous vegetation and fuel management: 1. All unincorporated lands designated as a State Responsibility Area (SRA). 2. Land designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by a city or local agency. 3. Land designated in a city or local agency ordinance as a wildland-urban interface (WUI) area.

604.3 Requirements.

Hazardous vegetation and fuels around all buildings and structures shall be maintained in accordance with the following laws and regulations: 1. Public Resources Code, Section 4291.

2. California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 3, Article 3, Section 1299.03. 3. California Government Code, Section 51182.

4. California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 1, Chapter 7, Subchapter 1, Section 3.07.

604.4 Outbuildings.

Outbuildings shall have a minimum clearance of 10 feet (3048 mm) down to bare mineral soil in all directions. Vege- tation more than 10 feet (3048 mm) but less than 20 feet (6096 mm) from outbuildings shall be fire-smart vegetation.

604.5 Disposal of flammable vegetation and fuels.

The disposal, including burning or removal to a site approved by the local jurisdic- tion in consultation with the fire authority, of flammable vegetation and fuels caused by site, road and driveway construction shall be in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. [CCR T14 §1276.05]

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
▸ Contents — 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Title 24, Part 7.5)
2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Title 24, Part 7.5)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE AREAS
  4. Chapter 4 — WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE AREA REQUIREMENTS
  5. Chapter 5 — SPECIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS
  6. ▸ Chapter 6 — FIRE PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS
    Overview
    1. Section 601 — GENERAL
    2. Section 602 — FIRE PROTECTION PLANS
    3. Section 603 — VEGETATION PLAN
    4. Section 604 — MAINTENANCE OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE
    5. Section 605 — SPARK ARRESTORS
    6. Section 606 — LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS INSTALLATIONS
    7. Section 607 — STORAGE OF FIREWOOD AND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS
    8. Section 608 — BUILDING SITING AND SETBACKS
    9. Section 609 — RIDGELINES, FUEL BREAKS AND GREENBELTS
    10. Section 610 — FIRE SAFE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
    11. Section 611 — SUBDIVISION REVIEW SURVEY
    12. Section 612 — GENERAL PLAN SAFETY ELEMENT
  7. Chapter 7 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  8. Appendix A — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
  9. Appendix B — VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
  10. Appendix C — COMMUNITY WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE (WUI) FIRE HAZ…
  11. Appendix D — MODEL ORDINANCE FOR FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONE ADO…
  12. Appendix E — RESERVED
  13. Appendix F — CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRE-SMART VEGETATION
  14. Appendix G — VOLUNTARY HOME-HARDENING RECOMMENDATIONS
  15. Appendix H — REFERENCED CALIFORNIA DOCUMENTS
  16. Appendix I — BOARD OF APPEALS

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.