Moraga-Orinda Fire District, CA
Home MenuEXTERIOR WILDFIRE HAZARD
ABATEMENT REQUIREMENTS
All property owners are required to comply with exterior hazard requirements.
It’s YOUR responsibility, and it’s the LAW.
All requirements shall be maintained year-round, with the exception for cutting grasses and weeds to a height of 3 inches or less no later than June 1 of every year.
ZONE 0. The Ember Resistant Zone or Home Ignition Zone extends from 0 to 5 feet from any structure, attached deck, or outbuilding on the parcel. Zone 0 requires the most stringent wildfire fuel reduction. This Zone is designed to prevent fire or embers from igniting materials that can spread to the structure..
ZONE 1. The Lean, Clean, and Green Zone extends from 5 feet to 30 feet from any structure or attached deck.
ZONE 2. The Reduced Fuel Zone extends from 30 feet to 100 feet from any structure or attached deck.
THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE TO BE COMPLETED AND MAINTAINED YEAR-ROUND*
MOFD ORDINANCE 23-03 FUEL MITIGATION & EXTERIOR HAZARDS APPLIES TO:
ZONE 0: (0-5 feet)
- Remove all combustible ground cover, such as mulch and bark, within 2 feet of all structures.
- Create a 1-foot vertical clearance from foliage to ground for any plants within 2 feet of the structure.
- Remove ALL dead or dying trees and/or rubbish.
- Remove ALL non-irrigated brush.
- Remove or cut grasses and weeds to a height of less than 3 inches or less. **Must be cut no later than June 1 of every year.
- Remove any Monterey Pine or Eucalyptus located within 5 feet of a structure or attached decks.
- Remove all tree branches that are within 6 vertical feet of the roof.
- Trim trees to create 10 feet of clearance from the chimney outlet.
- Remove ALL dead or combustible material from trees or any other plantings.
- Remove all material, such as branches, leaves, and needles, from the roof and gutters. This needs to be redone on a periodic basis.
- Trim trees to create 6 feet of vertical spacing between branches or foliage and ground.
ZONE 1: (5-30 feet)
- Remove ALL dead or dying trees and/or rubbish.
- Remove or cut grasses and weeds to a height of less than 3 inches or less. **Must be cut no later than June 1 of every year.
- Trim trees to create 6 feet of vertical spacing between branches or foliage and ground.
- Remove ALL non-irrigated brush.
- Maintain 10 feet of bare mineral soil around Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) storage tanks, firewood, lumber, or other Combustible Material.
ZONE 2: (30-100 feet)
- Remove ALL dead or dying trees and/or rubbish.
- Remove or cut grasses and weeds to a height of less than 3 inches or less. **Must be cut no later than June 1 of every year.
- Trim trees to create 6 feet of vertical spacing between branches or foliage and ground.
- Remove ALL non-irrigated brush.
- Coverings over a pile of lumber or firewood must be constructed or made of fire-resistant material.
- Maintain 10 feet of bare mineral soil around liquid propane gas (LPG) storage tanks, firewood, lumber, or other combustible material.
FENCES
- No screen, fence or other structure made of bark, mulch, or wood chips is allowed within 100 feet of a Structure or within 10 feet of the paved edge of the road.
ROADSIDE VEGETATION
- Maintain tree foliage, branches, and trunks to provide a minimum 15-foot vertical clearance above the entire roadway or driveway.
- Remove all Juniper and Bamboo from within 10 feet of the roadway or driveway.
- Remove any hazardous vegetation located within 3 horizontal feet of the roadway.
FUEL BREAK MOFD ORDINANCE 23-08 APPLIES TO:
PARCELS OF 1 ACRE OR LESS: Require the entire parcel to be maintained.
PARCELS OVER 1 ACRE:- A Fuel Break of 100 feet shall be created and maintained around the entire perimeter of a parcel over 1 acre in size.
FUEL BREAKS STANDARDS
- Grasses and weeds cut to less than 3".
- Non-irrigated brush removed such that the minimum space between shrubs is as follows:
a. On flat or mild slopes (less than 20%): Two times the height of the shrub
b. On mild to moderate slopes (20-40%): Four times the height of the shrub
c. On moderate to steep slopes (greater than 40%): Six times the height of the shrub.
- Removal of all Combustible Material.
- Removal of dead, diseased, or dying trees.
- Trim trees to create 6 feet of vertical spacing between branches or foliage and ground.
WHEN CONDUCTING FUEL MITIGATION AND DEFENSIBLE SPACE WORK,
If you plan on conducting work near, adjacent to, or within any creek, channel, stream, or watercourse, or if you believe your property may contain habitat for sensitive species, please contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) by email - AskBDR@wildlife.ca.gov or by phone (707) 428-2002; prior to initiating any activities associated with this notice. Please copy and inform MOFD when contacting CDFW. |