Grass, weeds, or rubbish shall not remain in any yard, vacant lot, or open space where it may endanger property or create a fire hazard. Such materials shall be cut to a maximum height of three inches and removed.

Corrective Action 1:

• Cut and remove weeds or rubbish from your yard, vacant lot, or open space.

Grass and weeds on open space or vacant parcels exceeding one acre shall be mowed or disced into quartered sections with 30-foot-wide firebreaks. A continuous 30-foot-wide firebreak shall also be maintained around the entire perimeter.

Corrective Action 2:

• Parcels one acre or larger in size: Create 30-foot-wide fuel breaks around and across the property, dividing it into approximately one-acre sections. Grasses shall be mowed or disked to less than three inches in height.

Flammable vegetation shall be removed to maintain a minimum of 30 feet of clearance from structures and 10 feet from roadways. Dead vegetation shall be removed, and remaining vegetation thinned within 100 feet of structures to create a mosaic fuel pattern. Exceptions apply for maintained ornamental landscaping.

Corrective Action 3:

• Remove all flammable vegetation and/or other combustible growth to maintain 30 feet of clearance from all structures and 10 feet of clearance from all roadways.
• Additionally, remove any dead material and thin out native vegetation to form a mosaic pattern to a perimeter clearance of 100 feet from structures.

Tree branches shall be removed within 10 feet of chimney or stovepipe outlets. All chimneys or stovepipes shall have a noncombustible spark arrestor with openings not exceeding a half inch.

Corrective Action 4:

• Remove that portion of any tree that extends to within 10 feet of the outlet of any chimney or stovepipe. 
• Additionally, at all times, provide and maintain a half-inch wire-mesh spark arrester on all stovepipes and chimneys.

Dead and dying vegetation, including surface and aerial fuels, shall be removed. Dead or dying portions of trees adjacent to or overhanging structures shall be cut and removed.

Corrective Action 5

• Cut and remove all dead or dying portions of trees located adjacent to or overhanging any structure.
• Additionally, limb up trees to maintain six feet of clearance from the ground.

Roofs shall be maintained free of leaves, needles, and other dead vegetative debris.

Corrective Action 6:

• Remove and clean all leaves, needles, or other debris from roof structures, gutters, decks, & patios.

Roadways and driveways shall maintain a minimum vertical clearance of 13.5 feet and full horizontal clearance across the required width. Vegetation shall be cleared at least 10 feet from the roadway edge. 

Exception: Single specimen trees, ornamental vegetative fuels, or cultivated ground cover, such as green grass, ivy, succulents, or similar plants used as ground cover, may be allowed within this 10-foot area provided they do not form a means of readily transmitting fire.

Corrective Action 7:

• Remove any tree limb or vegetation extending into a driveway or roadway to provide an overhead clearance of 13.5 feet, spanning the full required width of the roadway.
• Additionally, grass and/or other flammable vegetation must be trimmed back 10 feet from the edge of the roadway or driveway.

Exposed woodpiles shall be located at least 30 feet from structures and maintain a minimum 10-foot clearance to bare mineral soil.

Corrective Action 8:

• Move woodpiles 30 feet away from a structure and/or remove all fuel down to mineral soil to maintain a 10 feet of clearance from exposed woodpiles.

Outbuildings and LPG tanks shall have a minimum 10-foot clearance to bare mineral soil and an additional 10 feet free of flammable vegetation.

Corrective Action 9:

• Remove all vegetation to mineral soil to maintain 10 feet of clearance, with an additional 10 feet with no flammable vegetation from outbuildings and LPG storage tanks.

Address numbers shall be clearly visible from the street or access road, with a minimum height of four inches and a contrasting background.

Corrective Action 12:

• New and existing buildings must have approved address numbers that are clearly visible and legible from the street or road.
• Address numbers shall also be posted at forks in the road or other locations as needed to help emergency responders easily find the correct property.

A minimum three-foot clearance shall be maintained around all fire hydrants.

Corrective Action 11:

• Remove all obstructions and provide a three-foot area cleared of vegetation around the circumference of the hydrant.

All electronic vehicular gates shall have a properly installed and functioning Knox key switch.

Corrective Action 12:

• Install a Knox Gate Switch for Fire Department Access.
  • Additional information about Knox Box access

You may have received a notice because at the time of inspection, your property showed hazards such as overgrown vegetation. However, it is possible that your property was cleaned after our inspection, but a notice was still sent to you. In this case, we would like to thank you for maintaining your property and your property will be marked as compliant at the time of your re-inspection. 

Yes, if you have questions about potential hazards on your property, please call 805-969-7762 and request to speak with a member of the Fire Prevention Bureau to schedule a property visit. You may also schedule a Defensible Space Survey here. 

Yes, photos are taken from the public-right-of-way during the initial inspection and included in the Hazard Abatement inspection report. 

Montecito Fire uses the County Tax Assessor’s information to obtain property information which includes mailing address. Please verify your property information and if changes are needed please contact the Tax Assessor’s office and Montecito Fire at prevention@montecitofire.com or call 805-969-7762.

Property owners will have about 2-3 weeks to fix the identified issues and go through a re-inspection.