Inspections and enforcement
CAL FIRE defensible space inspections: what they check today
Defensible space inspections are not waiting on Zone Zero. They happen now, under law that has been in force for years, and they check the 100 feet around your house against a fifteen-point form. Here is that form, line by line, and what happens if you fail it.
What is actually enforced today
Every property owner in the State Responsibility Area must maintain defensible space for 100 feet from each side of the building, or out to the property line if that comes first. That is Public Resources Code 4291, and CAL FIRE enforces it. In a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone inside a Local Responsibility Area, Government Code 51182 imposes the same duty, and your local fire agency enforces it. Which applies to you →
The 100 feet is split in two:
| Zone | Distance | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Out to 30 feet | The lean, clean zone. Nothing dead, nothing touching the building, no firewood, nothing under the deck. |
| Zone 2 | 30 to 100 feet | The reduced-fuel zone. Grass cut short, plants spaced so fire cannot climb or jump from one to the next. |
Where Zone Zero fits: not yet. The Zone 0 package would have added a strict five-foot band next to the house and moved the start of Zone 1 out to five feet. The Board withdrew it from review on September 8, 2026, so none of that is in force. Inspectors still work from the in-force regulation, where Zone 1 runs from the wall out to 30 feet. CAL FIRE's current inspection notice does mention an ember-resistant zone, as guidance on home hardening. It is not a citable requirement. Where Zone Zero stands →
An insurer can ask for more than 100 feet. PRC 4291 lets it, if a fire expert's findings support the greater distance. It can't reach past your property line unless another law allows it.
The inspection form, line by line
CAL FIRE inspectors use a standard form, the LE-100, and local fire agencies usually build their own checklists from it. Each letter below is a box the inspector ticks if that condition is not met. Ticked boxes are your list of things to fix.
| Where | What is checked | Authority | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Zone 1 | No tree branches within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet | PRC 4291(a)(4); 14 CCR 1299.03(a)(2) |
| B | Zone 1 | Roof, gutters and decks clear of leaves, needles and other dead vegetation | PRC 4291(a)(6); 14 CCR 1299.03(a)(1) |
| C | Zone 1 | Dead or dying trees, branches and shrubs removed where adjacent to or overhanging the building | PRC 4291(a)(5); 14 CCR 1299.03(a)(2) |
| D | Zone 1 | Dead grass, plants, weeds and needles removed | 14 CCR 1299.03(a)(1) |
| E | Zone 1 | Live flammable ground cover removed or separated | PRC 4291(a)(1) |
| F | Zone 1 | No flammable vegetation or items adjacent to or under combustible decks, balconies and stairs | 14 CCR 1299.03(a)(4) |
| G | Zone 1 | Exposed firewood moved out of Zone 1, or completely covered in fire-resistant material | 14 CCR 1299.03(a)(3) |
| H | Zone 2 | Annual grasses and forbs cut to a maximum of 4 inches | 14 CCR 1299.03(b)(2)(B) |
| I | Zone 2 | Shrubs and trees spaced horizontally and vertically, using the Board's fuel-separation or continuous-canopy method | Board of Forestry General Guidelines |
| J | Zone 2 | Exposed woodpiles have 10 feet of clearance to bare mineral soil in every direction | 14 CCR 1299.03(b)(2)(C) |
| K | Zone 2 | Dead and dying woody fuel removed; loose surface litter no deeper than 3 inches | 14 CCR 1299.03(b)(2)(A) |
| L | Within 100 ft | Embedded logs and stumps removed or isolated from other vegetation | Board of Forestry General Guidelines |
| M | Outbuildings | Sheds and propane tanks: 10 feet cleared to bare mineral soil, plus no flammable vegetation for a further 10 feet | 14 CCR 1299.03(c)(1) |
| N | Access | House number visible from the road, at least 4 inches, contrasting colour | California Fire Code 505.1 |
| O | Structure | Chimney or stovepipe fitted with a spark arrester screen (openings between 3/8 and 1/2 inch) | California Building Code 2113.9.2 |
Letters and wording follow the CAL FIRE LE-100a checklist (revision 3/17). The newer notice, the LE-100A, carries the same Zone 1 and Zone 2 items.
Start with the three you can see from the driveway. Branches within ten feet of the chimney (A). Leaves and needles in the gutters (B). A woodpile against the house or under the deck (F and G). They are the cheapest items on the form to fix and the first an inspector sees on arrival. They are also required under statute already, whatever happens to Zone Zero.
How an inspection works
- The visit. An inspector walks the property and records the result on the inspection form, usually electronically.
- The notice. You receive a copy of the notice. Any ticked box is a violation you are "hereby notified to correct". The notice warns that failing to comply "may result in a citation and fine".
- The reinspection. The form sets a date, "reinspection date on or after". The inspector comes back after that date to check the work.
- Citation, if nothing changed. Only at this stage does it become a penalty. The process is built to get the work done, not to fine people on the first visit.
CAL FIRE's form sets no fixed gap before the reinspection. The inspector fills in the date. Local agencies following the State Fire Marshal's model program give at least 30 calendar days after a notice to abate, and 10 days to appeal. Check your own agency's timeline.
What happens if you fail
In the State Responsibility Area the penalties are set by statute, in Public Resources Code 4291.1:
| Violation | Classification | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| First | Infraction | $100 to $500 |
| Second within 5 years | Infraction | $250 to $500 |
| Third within 5 years | Misdemeanor | At least $500 — or CAL FIRE does the work and bills you |
Fix it and the fine can drop to $50. If you are cited and bring proof to court that the condition no longer exists, the court may reduce the fine to $50. It's in the same statute, PRC 4291.1, and hardly anyone mentions it. Photograph the finished work, with dates. Our workbook has a log page built for exactly this.
In a Local Responsibility Area, your city or county sets the penalties in its own ordinance, and they can be steeper. The State Fire Marshal's model program for local agencies suggests administrative citations of up to $130, then $700, then $1,300 for repeats within a year. It also allows the agency to clear the property itself and put the cost on your property as a lien. That's a model, not a statewide schedule. Your agency's ordinance is what applies.
How to request an inspection
If you are selling
A sale is the one situation where CAL FIRE offers an online request. Its defensible space page links a real estate inspection request for AB 38. That law requires documented compliance when a home in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone is sold. Fees vary by agency: some charge, some don't. A passing report is typically valid for six months. What sellers have to provide →
If you just want to know where you stand
Contact whoever protects your property. In the State Responsibility Area that is your local CAL FIRE unit. Anywhere else it is your city or county fire department or fire protection district. Many run voluntary or educational inspection programmes — Santa Barbara County, Northern Sonoma County and North Tahoe among them — so ask whether yours does, and whether it can lead to a citation. A voluntary visit is the best way to find out what an inspector would tick before an inspector who can cite you does.
Not sure which agency covers you? It turns on whether you're in the State or Local Responsibility Area. Check that first →
Who else checks
Your insurer
Insurers don't wait for public enforcement. They inspect, they price on wildfire risk, and the California FAIR Plan inspects to confirm eligibility for its discounts. It can remove a discount if the property no longer qualifies. For most homeowners, this is the check that costs real money. The insurance side →
Your city or county, under its own ordinance
Local ordinances run on their own authority and their own timetable. The City of San Diego adopted a Zone Zero requirement of its own. It applies to existing homes from February 2027, whatever happens to the state rule. Local rules by area →
When Zone Zero inspections would start
Even if the state Zone 0 rule comes back, CAL FIRE's inspectors won't enforce it straight away. Public Resources Code 4291(h) bars the department from changing its inspection practices, forms or enforcement for the ember-resistant zone. That bar holds until the State Fire Marshal posts a written finding that the Legislature has appropriated enough money to do it. The Board's own economic filing estimated that would happen in fiscal year 2027–2028.
A second gate applies to new buildings. Under PRC 4291(g)(1) and Government Code 51186(b)(2)(A), Zone 0 requirements for new structures start only once the Board updates and posts its defensible space guidance document.
Neither gate touches Zones 1 and 2. They are enforced now, and they are what this page is about.
Sources: Public Resources Code 4291, 4291(g)(1), 4291(h) and 4291.1; Government Code 51182 and 51186(b)(2)(A); 14 CCR 1299.03; CAL FIRE Defensible Space Inspection Checklist LE-100a (rev. 3/17) and Notice of Defensible Space Inspection LE-100A (rev. 1/24); CAL FIRE defensible space inspection page, fire.ca.gov/dspace; Office of the State Fire Marshal, Model Defensible Space Inspection Guide (2023); Economic and Fiscal Impact Statement (STD 399) and supplement, Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, August 2026; Office of Administrative Law, file 2026-0828-03E.