Annual Vegetation Mitigation Programs

Annual Vegetation Mitigation Programs

The Newport Beach Fire Department is committed to protecting our community from wildfire risks through comprehensive vegetation mitigation programs. These initiatives focus on managing vegetation to reduce fire hazards and enhance safety in areas where wildland and urban developments intersect. Below, you will find detailed information about our programs and their importance in safeguarding Newport Beach.

Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas

A Wildland-Urban Interface Area is a geographical area where improved property intersects with wildland or vegetative fuels; those areas in the City will either be defined as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or a Hazard Reduction Zone. If your home or business is located within a Wildland-Urban Interface Area, certain Building Code regulations will apply to new, rebuilt or significantly remodeled structures.

Weed Abatement

The purpose of the weed abatement program is to reduce potential fire hazards due to the accumulation of weeds, dry vegetation, and or rubbish.

Currently there are 10 properties located throughout the City in the weed abatement program that is coordinated by Fire Prevention staff. These inspections are conducted by Fire Operations staff once per year, starting in the beginning of May. Homeowners, landowners or property managers should comply with the vegetation requirements by the first week of May to avoid receiving a non-compliance letter. 

If your home or business is located within a designated weed abatement parcel, please refer to the City of Newport Beach Municipal Code Section 10.48 Weed and Rubbish Abatement. 

Hazard Reduction Zone

A Hazard Reduction Zone is defined as any geographical area designated by the Fire Chief in which structures directly abut a wildland space on one or more sides.

There are 266 parcels that are designated as Hazard Reduction Zones. Fire Prevention staff conducts these inspections on an annual basis. Upper, Middle, and Lower Buck Gully, including Big Canyon, Morning Canyon and Newport Coast, are areas determined as a Hazard Reduction Zone.

If your home or business is located within a Hazard Reduction Zone, certain regulations apply. Please refer to the following for more detailed information:

• Newport Beach Municipal Code Title 9.04.380 Amendments to Chapter 49 - Requirements for Wildland Urban Interface Fire Areas

• Newport Beach Fire Department Guidelines and Standards - G.01 Hazard Reduction Zones

Homeowners, landowners or property managers shall comply with the vegetation requirements by the last week of May to avoid receiving a non-compliance letter. Inspections conducted by the Fire Prevention staff begin the first week of June.

Fuel Modification Zone

Fuel modification is a critical wildfire prevention strategy in Newport beach, designed to create a defensible space between developed properties and wildlands. This managed strip of land involves thinning, removing, or replacing combustible vegetation with drought-tolerant, fire resistant, and/or irrigated plants. These measures reduce radiant and convective heat, slow fire spread, and provide safer conditions for firefighting efforts.

Fuel modification zones are carefully planned and maintained to minimize fire risk. When paired with building requirements outlined in California Building Code Chapter 7A, these zones significantly reduce the chance of structural ignition during a wildfire. Seasonal inspections by Newport Beach Fire Prevention staff ensure compliance and maintain the effectiveness of these zones.

Key aspects of fuel modification in Newport Beach include:

• Defensible Space: Zones designed to reduce flame impingement and heat transfer.
• Zone Specifications: Four distinct zones (A, B, C, and D) with specific vegetation and maintenance requirements.
• Compliance Timelines: Spring and fall inspections with deadlines to avoid non-compliance notices.
• Resources: Guidelines for approved plants, undesirable species, and municipal code requirements.

Currently, 24 Newport Beach communities are required to maintain fuel modification zones. These zones are essential in protecting lives, property, and the natural environment from wildfire threats. For detailed information, refer to Newport Beach Municipal Code Title 9.04.380 and the Fire Department's Fuel Modification Guidelines.

If you have questions, concerns, or inquiries please contact: 949-644-3106 or email nbfdwildland@nbfd.net or to request an inspection NBFD Wildland Inspection Request Form.

FAQ's

1. What is the difference between a Hazard Reduction Zone and a Fuel Modification Zone?

Both are designed to reduce the amount of combustible fuel, which in turn reduces the amount of heat, associated flame lengths, and the intensity of a fire that may threaten a structure.

Hazard Reduction Zones

Hazard Reduction Zones are typically located in Buck Gully, Morning Canyon, and parts of Big Canyon.

A hazard reduction zone extends out from the part of the structure that faces the wildland area to 100 feet, or to the property line if the property line is closer than 100 feet.

The City’s standard for hazard reduction includes requirements for maintaining existing trees, shrubs, and ground cover in this 100-foot setback zone.  Dead or dying foliage shall be removed as well as dead trees, shrubs, and ground cover.  Roofs shall be cleared of leaves, needles, twigs, and other combustible materials.  Chimneys shall be equipped with an approved spark arrester.

Existing trees are not required to have a separation of tree canopies but new trees shall be planted such that mature canopies will have a minimum separation of ten feet.  The lowest tree branch shall be at least three times as high as the shrub when a shrub is located within the dripline of a tree.

The City has a Fire Resistive Plant List which lists trees, bushes, shrubs, and ground cover that will slow the progress and intensity of a wildfire and not contribute to the fire load.  In hazard reduction areas, any new plant materials must be from this approved plant list.  This requirement applies only to those areas of the property which face the hazardous fire area.

In addition, every property located within 100’ of a hazardous fire area is required to maintain a three-foot wide clear path for ingress and egress on each side of the structure for fire department access in a fire.  Trash containers are excepted if they can be easily moved.

Fuel Modification Zones

 Fuel Modification Zones (FMZ) are typically located in the Newport Coast communities.  The requirements for fuel modification zones are imposed when a new community or development is proposed next to a wildland area, and are defined as:

A ribbon of land surrounding homes designed to diminish the intensity of a wildfire as it approaches the homes.  A fuel modification zone differs from a hazard reduction zone through a combination of methodologies, including the removal of native vegetation and replacing it with fire resistive plant species, as well as the reduction in the amount of native combustible vegetation.  The minimum width of a fuel modification zone is 170 feet.  These areas are owned by individual property owners or by a homeowner’s association.  In the case of Newport Coast, local homeowner’s associations own the majority of the fuel modification areas.

This ribbon of land is most often divided into four zones.  The four zones are referred to as the A, B, C, and D zones.

The A zone is closest to the homes and is most often the last twenty feet of the back yard of the private residences.  The A zone is the defensible space where firefighters will set up hose lines to extinguish the approaching fire. The A zone includes ornamental plants and single specimen trees.  All plants in this area are required to be irrigated and must be from the approved plant list.

The B zone is the next 50 feet just outside the back fence line. This zone is an area where natural vegetation has been replaced by fire resistive, drought tolerant plants from an approved list.  This B zone is permanently, automatically irrigated.  Non-approved vegetation must be removed in this zone.

The C and D Zones are the next 100 feet away from the homes.  Each zone is a minimum of 50 feet in width.  These zones are called the thinning zones.  Natural vegetation is reduced to 50% in the C zone. In the D zone a thinning of 30% of natural vegetation occurs.  A way to imagine the thinning principle is in the 50% thinning zone (C zone) two people can walk around clumps of vegetation side by side.  In a 30% thinning zone (D zone) two people would have to walk single file between clumps of natural vegetation.

Certain fire prone species of vegetation are required to be removed when found in any of the four fuel modification zones. In all zones any dead or dying material is removed and no combustible construction is allowed in the A, B, C, or D zones.

In addition to reduction of the vegetation hazards, areas regulated by the City’s fuel modification requirements are also required to “harden” the structures immediately adjacent to the wildland area.  This “hardening” is done by providing automatic fire sprinkler protection, installation of class “A” roof assemblies, installation of dual glazed windows, fire resistive construction, and the elimination of any combustible exterior structural elements (for example, wood patio covers).

2. If a fuel modification zone would protect my home better than a hazard reduction zone, why doesn’t the City require it, instead of a hazard reduction zone?

 Owners of properties that are in a designated hazard reduction zone must convert their property to a fuel modification zone if they elect to build a new home or propose a significant remodel that is increased in size by 2,000 square feet or more and exceeds 50% of the area of the existing structure.  While the municipal codes for vegetation management are minimal, all property owners are encouraged to be proactive and do whatever they can to protect their home from a wildfire.

3. How does the hazard reduction zone inspection process work? What happens if I don’t do anything?

 We send a “Pre-Inspection Notice” as a courtesy to property owners a minimum of thirty days before the actual inspection.  The courtesy letter informs the property owner of the approximate day that their property will be inspected and provides a web link to the hazard reduction guidelines.  The courtesy letter also notifies the property owner that they can make an appointment with the inspector if they wish to be present during the inspection.

If the property is deemed non-compliant after the first inspection, a “30-day non-compliant” letter is sent to the property owner, allowing 30 days to bring the property into compliance.  

After thirty days, a second inspection is conducted.  If the property is still deemed non-compliant, a “Notice of Intent to Abate” letter is sent allowing the property owner 10 days to bring the property into compliance.  Since there are no more scheduled inspections, it is important to note that the letter states the property owner is required to schedule an inspection within the 10-day period, otherwise we will assume that no work has been done and a citation will be issued.

4. Where can I access the guidelines for vegetation management?

The guidelines can be accessed on the City website.  Below are links to the most common ones:

Hazard Reduction Zone	Construction Requirements	Converting HRZ to FMZ
Fuel Modification Zones	Undesirable Plant List

 

5. Are there any additional recommendations on how I can protect my home from a wildfire?

1.  Regularly clean roof and gutters.

2.  Rake away leaves, dead limbs, and twigs.  Clear all flammable vegetation.

3.  Remove leaves and rubbish from under structures.

4.  Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns, and remove limbs within 10 feet of the ground.

5.  Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.

6.  Prune tree branches and shrubs within 10 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.

7.  Remove vines from the walls of the home.

8.  Mow grass regularly.

9.  Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and the barbecue.  Place a screen over the grill - use non-flammable material with mesh no coarser than 1/8 inch.

10.  Place stove, fireplace, and grill ashes in a metal bucket and soak in water for two days before disposing of.

11.  Store gasoline, oily rags, and other flammable materials in approved safety cans.  Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings.

12.  Keep a ladder that will reach the roof.