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serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and
programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through
the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands. If
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Title: |
California Property Inspection Guide
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Type: |
Regulatory
Fuelbreaks
Education
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Jurisdiction: |
State
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State: |
California
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Program Description: |
Property Inspection for Compliance With State Fire Laws
The goal of the California fire prevention program is educate homeowners of measures to prevent the ignition and spread of unwanted fires. The structural fire prevention inspection is an important tool for accomplishing this goal. Inspections are aimed at eliminating or reducing fire hazards and risks by changing the environment through removing or reducing the heat source, or by modifying or reducing the fuels.
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or duly authorized agents may inspect all properties, excluding the interior of dwellings, subject to state forest and fire laws for the purpose of ascertaining compliance with such laws.
The inspection is very comprehensive, looking at construction materials, fuels around the structure, water supply, fire sources, and what to do if a wildfire approaches. The focus of the National Wildfire Programs Database is limited to vegetation management for wildfire mitigation. Therefore this discussion of the Property Inspection Guide focuses only on that topic.
Property Inspection Guide
The Property Inspection Guide, 2000 version, was developed to provide the necessary information and procedures required to establish and maintain a system to ensure fire safe compliance by homeowners in the Urban-Wildland Interface. The Guide was developed as a cooperative effort by the University of California and the Interagency Engineering Working Group comprised of representatives from the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), and interested individuals.
The Property Inspection Guide is a tool for the enforcement of PRC Section 4291, "Clearance Around Structures" which requires maintenance of defensible space around structures in mountainous forest-covered, brush-covered or grass-covered lands. PRC 4291 does not apply to a specific jurisdiction, but does apply to specific fuel conditions which are identified in the opening paragraph of the law.
The Inspection Program
Pre-inspection activities include media notification of potential inspectees, mail-out information, homeowner self-inspection mail-outs, and advance notice letters or postcards. Pre-inspection notices foster good public relations and improve compliance.
During the inspection, the homeowner is provided with a brief understanding of fire behavior. The inspector explains the importance of fuel, topography and wind. Homeowners are introduced to the defensible space concept. Residents must accept the responsibility of self-protection by implementing the recommendations of the inspector. These recommendations concern emergency vehicle access, emergency water reserves, street names and building identification and fuel modification measures.
Fuel Management for Homeowners
If flammability can be managed, firefighters may have a chance to protect the homes and wildland. There are three fuel management methods that homeowners can use to make their property more fire safe. They are Fuel Reduction, Total Fuel Removal, and Type Conversion.
Fuel Reduction is the partial removal of plants, either by removing the more highly flammable species, or by removing a portion of all plants. Fuel Removal must be balanced with the need to prevent soil erosion. Type Conversion is a combination of the above two methods of reducing fuels. Highly flammable fuels are replaced with low growing, less flammable species. Homeowners living next to highly flammable fuels often replace them with a lush green lawn and low fuel volume plants. The University of California Forest Products Laboratory (UCFPL) has a listing of fire resistive vegetation available on their website.
Vegetation Clearance Around the Structure
The clearance of flammable vegetation around buildings has proven to be one of the most effective factors in surviving wildfire. It provides for defensible space, increased safety and working room for firefighters, reduced chance of direct flame contact, and reduced intensity of radiated heat from the approaching wildfire.
Within 30 feet of the structure:
Well-irrigated grass;
No downed or woody litter;
Low-growing plants spaced apart;
No plants placed against the home.
Vegetation Clearance 30-100 foot or more in extra-hazardous conditions (PRC 4291)
Within 30 feet of the structure and beyond, up to 100 feet or more, provide a buffer from wildfire by thinning vegetation. Get rid of ladder fuels using the following measures:
Prune branches at least 10 feet from chimney or stovepipe outlet;
Maintain distance between tree crowns;
Break up continuous patches of brush;
Remove all dead brush, dead and downed logs, and materials that could contribute to a "spotting bed", a location where an ember could land and provide a fuel source to start a wildfire.
Community Fuel Breaks
A fuel break is recommended around all dwellings for increased protection over and above the level of protection provided by clearance only (PRC 4290).
Characteristics of Fire Resistive Vegetation
Homeowners are instructed as to the characteristics of fire resistive vegetation. They can access the Listing of Fire Resistive Plants on the UCFPL website, or access the UCFPL plant list for the Demonstration Garden at Berkeley.
The following are characteristics of fire resistive vegetation:
Growth with little or no accumulation of dead vegetation;
Non-resinous plants;
Low volume total vegetation, i.e., grass as opposed to forest or shrubs;
Plants with high live fuel moisture;
Drought tolerant plants;
Stands without ladder fuels;
Plants requiring little maintenance;
Plants with woody stems and branches that require prolonged heat to ignite.
Firewise Construction and Other Factors in Wildfire Spread
The Property Inspection Guide and Inspection Notice deal with building materials including roofs, gutters, spark arresters, siding, walls, windows, vents and eaves. Recommendations for firewise construction materials and practices can be found in the Property Inspection Guide. Since this website deals only with vegetative management strategies for reducing wildfire risk, the requirements for firewise construction will not be discussed in detail here.
Property owners are reminded of debris burning regulations, permit requirements, safe burning techniques for debris, campfires, gasoline lanterns, stoves and heaters, proper storage for gas, liquefied petroleum gas and firewood, and exhaust system requirements.
Inspectors also check for a water supply for fire fighting such as a swimming pool or storage tank, and instruct the homeowner on what to do in case a wildfire approaches.
Documenting the Inspection
All fire law violations and observed hazards and risks are noted by the inspector on the Interagency Fire Hazard Inspection Notice. Homeowners are given a time limit for compliance.
Contact Information
For more information on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Property Inspection Guide, contact, via email, Tom Hoffman, or by phone at 916-712-5660.
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