• Extends 0- 5 feet from buildings, structures, & decks. 
• Is the area closest to your home.
• Is key for wildfire defense and preventing fires from spreading to your home.

 Current guidelines

• Maintain a firebreak
  • Gap in vegetation or other combustible materials designed to halt or slow the spread of wildfires.
  • Helps reduce or eliminate ignition sources and direct flames coming into contact with your home.
  • Involves removing and clearing away dangerous accumulation of flammable vegetation and combustible growth and materials within the area.
• Remove Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Materials that are under combustible decks, porches, balconies, stairs, or similar attached areas.
• Combustible bark or mulch is not allowed in this zone.
  • Consider using:
    • Hardscape like gravel
    • Flagstone
    • Permeable pavers or blocks
    • Pervious or porous concrete
    • Bare ground or other noncombustible materials.

Required

• All live tree branches are kept a minimum of 10 feet above the roof and decking.
• All live branches are kept a minimum of 5 feet away from the sides of the structure.
• All branches are a minimum of ten feet (10 ft.) away from chimney and stovepipe outlets for appliances/fireplaces that burn solid fuels.
• All plants, shrubs, branches, leaves, weeds, and pine needles have been removed from around the “Structure” including on the roof or rain gutters of the "Building or Structure" or any other location within the Zone.

Disking is done only on parcels that don’t have Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protected burrowing owls residing.

• If you think there may be burrowing owls, call Tri-City Ecology Center to verify or confirm. 
• Contact: (510) 793-6222.

Additional Zone 0 Resources:

• Extends 5 - 30 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc. or to your property line, whichever is closer. This area transitions away from your home; minimizing the fire's chance of spreading.

• Hazardous vegetation and combustible material(s):
  • Remove all dead or decaying vegetation from Zone 1.
  • Permitted to a maximum depth of four (4) inches:
    • Loose surface litter, normally consisting of fallen leaves or needles, twigs, bark, cones, small branches, and mulch.

• Exposed firewood piles:
  • Not allowed in this zone. May be relocated to Zone 2.
  • Only permitted if they are completely covered with fire-resistant material that will not allow embers to penetrate.
    • A 10 feet clearance around the allowable wood pile should be maintained, down to bare mineral soil, hardscape like gravel, permeable pavers or blocks, pervious or porous concrete, or other noncombustible materials shall be used.

• Shrubs and trees:
  • Horizontal and vertical spacing among shrubs and trees should be maintained.
    • Lack of vertical space can allow a fire to move from the ground to the shrubs to the treetops- like a ladder.
    • Maintain proper spacing between shrubs.
    • If shrubs are under trees, additional vertical space is needed.
    • Remove all tree branches at least six (6) feet from the ground.
  • For spacing, use the "Fuel Separation" method (Reference Material below) and the "Continuous Tree Canopy" method (Reference Material below), or a combination of both to achieve defensible space clearance requirements.
  
  
• For both the Fuel Separation and Continuous Tree Canopy methods in Zone 1, the following standards shall apply:
  • Remove all dead and dying woody surface fuels and aerial fuels.
  • Permitted to a maximum depth of four (4) inches:
    • Loose surface litter, normally consisting of fallen leaves or needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches.
  • Cut / trim down annual grasses and forbs to a maximum height of four (4) inches.

Reference Material:

• Defensible Space Inspections Guidelines

• Extends from 30 feet to 100 feet out from buildings, structures, decks, etc. or to your property line, whichever is closer.
• Is the area farthest from your home.
• Helps reduce the fire's intensity by encouraging:
  • fires to remain on the ground.
  • crown fires to move to the ground. 

• Shrubs and trees:
  • Maintain Horizontal and vertical spacing among shrubs and trees.
  • For spacing, use the "Fuel Separation" method, the "Continuous Tree Canopy" method, or a combination of both to achieve defensible space clearance requirements.
  • Refer to Section 15.040 (Fuel Mitigation Req.) of Defensible Space Inspection Guidelines.

• Woody surface fuels and aerial fuels:
  • Remove all dead and dying woody surface fuels and aerial fuels. 

• Annual Grasses and forbs (wildflowers):
  • Cut / trim annual grasses and forbs (wildflowers) down to a maximum height of four (4)    inches.
  • Cut wildflowers once they have fully bloomed; after June 15th.

• Exposed wood piles:
  • All exposed wood piles shall have a minimum of ten (10) feet of clearance, down to bare mineral soil, in all directions, or
  • Use hardscape like gravel, flagstone, permeable pavers or blocks, pervious or porous concrete, or other noncombustible materials.

Must comply with the following guidelines:

Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) storage tanks:

• All Outbuildings and non-portable/permanently installed Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) storage tanks shall have the following minimum clearance:
  • Ten feet (10 ft.) of clearance to bare mineral soil or
  •  Use other noncombustible items such as gravel, permeable pavers or blocks, pervious or porous concrete.
  • No dead or dying vegetation for an additional ten (10) feet around their exterior.

Heavy equipment:

• Avoid the use of heavy equipment in and around streams and seasonal drainages.
  • This is important for protecting water quality.
  • Vegetation removal can cause soil erosion, especially on steep slopes. Keep soil disturbance to a minimum on steep slopes.

Climbing Vines:

• Climbing vines must be removed from Structures within the one hundred (100’) foot defensible space zone around Structure(s). 
  • Exception:
    • Climbing vines greater than ½ inch in diameter that are Approved Vegetation, that are irrigated, cleared of dead material, located, and maintained so that they do not cause damage to any part of the   structure, as determined by the fire code official.
    • The exception shall not apply to:
      • new construction of structures arising after January 01, 2026.
      • the planting of new climbing vines on existing Structures after January 01, 2026.

Ladder Fuels: 

• Maintain the Parcel free of ladder fuels within the 100-foot Defensible Space area around structure(s).

Planting restrictions:

• For new construction of structures arising after adoption of these guidelines, the following are not permitted:
  • Acacia (Genus Acacia)
  • Bamboo (Genus Bambusa)
  • Cypress (Genus Cupressus)
  • Eucalyptus (Genus Eucalyptus)
  • Junipers (Genus Juniperus)
  • Monterey Pines (Pinus Radiata).

• For existing structures, the planting of any of the above plants after January 01, 2026 is not permitted.

Vegetation or combustible material removal: 

• Where the terrain, condition, or environment on the adjacent Parcel is such that it cannot or should not be disked or mowed, the Fire Code or Fire Code Official may require, or authorize, other means of hazardous vegetation or combustible material removal.

Photovoltaic Systems and Equipment:

• Clearance requirements around freestanding (ground-mounted) photovoltaic systems, equipment, and energy storage systems must comply with the following:
  • A minimum 10-foot clearance for clusters of panels not exceeding 1,500 square feet of the combined panel area. The initial five feet of clearance shall meet the Zone 0 standards. The subsequent five feet of clearance shall meet the Zone 1 standards.
  • A minimum 30-foot clearance for clusters of panels greater than 1,500 square feet of the combined panel  area. The initial five feet of clearance shall meet the Zone 0 standards. The subsequent clearance shall meet the Zone 1 standards.
  • Clusters shall be separated a minimum of 20 feet, edge to edge.

• Parcels three (3) acres or less require complete abatement. Complete abatement may require a combination of disking, mowing, or spraying on some parcels.


EXCEPTION: Individual property owners with large landlocked rear lots may contact the Fire Prevention  Bureau regarding appropriate abatement prior to the compliance date.

 

 

• Remove all dead trees from the property and maintain all weeds and other vegetation at a height of no more than 6 inches, except as otherwise provided herein.

EXCEPTION: This requirement does not apply to the maintenance of the ornamental shrubbery, native shrubbery or plants used as a ground cover provided they do not augment or spread the intensity of a fire. Native shrubbery should be cleared to a distance of 18 feet from any building or structure.

• Maintain a distance of 100 feet between trees and any buildings or within 10 feet of that portion of any highway, street, alley, or driveway which is improved or used for vehicle travel or other vehicular purposes, so that no leafy foliage, twigs or branches are within 5 feet of the ground.

• Volatile tree species (including Acacia, Cedar, Cypress, Eucalyptus and Pines) within the City of Fremont Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone need to be pruned, so that no leafy foliage, twigs or branches are within 10 feet of the ground.

These parcels are required to provide the provisions of Zone 0, Zone 1 & Zone 2 in addition the following:

• Parcels greater than three (3) acres, need to provide a 30-foot fire breaks and cross breaks. Provide cross breaks, which divide the parcel into approximately five (5) acre sections. Firebreaks and cross breaks are continuous strips of disked, dozed, or mowed ground, following as closely as possible to the property line, and along one side of all fence lines, ditches and on top of all ridges. When terrain is too steep or rugged for a tractor, a mowed firebreak may be required. 

EXCEPTION: Cropland and pastureland refer to item #4 & #5.

• All residential structures on parcels greater than three (3) acres must be surrounded by a 100–foot firebreak.

• Burning fields or debris within this jurisdiction is unlawful unless the written permission of the Fire Marshal is obtained. Permits may be required by other governing agencies, including the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Burn permits are only issued to agricultural properties. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to preclude the Fire Marshal from requiring more than the minimum requirements set forth above when it is determined that conditions exist which necessitate greater fire protection measures.

• Active Pastureland: 15-foot wide firebreaks and cross breaks are required when enough animals are present to steadily reduce height of grass during the summer months to 6 inches or less by the end  of August.  If not, 30-foot width is required.

• Active Cropland: 15-foot wide firebreaks and cross breaks are required if a crop is to be harvested by mid-June.  If later, 30-foot width is required.

• Orchards: Whether maintained or abandoned, require complete abatement, including grass under the tree branches.  This may require pruning of lower branches to allow equipment access.

• Volatile Tree Species: Maintain Volatile tree species (including Acacia, Cedar, Cypress, Eucalyptus and Pines) within the City of Fremont Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone so that no leafy foliage, twigs or branches are within 10 feet of the ground.