COMPLIANCE STANDARDS

Please click on Defensible Space Guidelines for an updated review of vegetation management information for homeowners. Additionally, an extremely informative brochure is available from Fire Wise and others can be found on their website: http://www.firewise.org/tips.htm

1. Maintain a 30-foot defensible space around all buildings/structures.
- The grass needs to be cut 6 inches or less.
- The tree branches need to be limbed up 6 feet from the ground
- Shrubs need to be maintained
- Climbing vines must be removed from trees and structures

2. Additional defensible space outward to 100 feet from all buildings and surrounding, neighboring structures may be required depending on the property slope, fuel load and/or fuel type.
- Fuel load - amount of vegetation.
- Fuel type - type of vegetation.
- Property slope - steepness of property.

3. Maintain a 10-foot minimum clearance next to the roadside; more may be required.
- The roadside clearance may be extended more than 10 feet.

4. Remove all portions of trees within 10 feet of chimney and/or stovepipe outlets.
- Property owners are responsible for maintaining trees year round.

- Trees need to be cut 10 feet away from the chimney in any direction.

5. Maintain trees adjacent to or overhanging a structure free of dead/dying wood.
- Cut the trees back and remove any dead or dying wood.

6. Maintain the roof of any structure free of leaves, needles, or other dead/dying wood.
- Remove any leaves, needles, branches, or debris from the roof and/or gutters.

7. Install a spark arrester on chimney and/or stovepipe outlets.
- The spark arrester must be constructed of heavy wire mesh with openings not to exceed ½ inch.

8. Provide street address numbers that are clearly visible from the roadside, minimum height: 2 inches.
- The address numbers should be posted on the house.
- If the house sits back from the street, post the address at the beginning of the driveway and on the house
- The address numbers should be in a contrasting color for visibility.

9. Remove all tree limbs within 6 feet of the ground.
- Remove lower hanging tree branches from the ground up 6 feet.

10. Remove dead/dying vegetation from property.
- Remove any and all dead/dying vegetation from the property

Link to the City of Oakland’s adoption of the State Fire Code

Oakland Municipal Code

National Fire Plan