The County of Los Angeles Fire Dept. (Department) recently mailed the Annual 2023 Brush Clearance Notices to residents in Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZs). There are approximately 60,000 homeowners who will be receiving this notice for the first time while others have been part of the Department’s annual brush clearance program for many years. Over the last two years, the fire department integrated a geospatial database into the Defensible Space Inspection Program that is far more accurate than visual identification used in previous years. Using criteria-based mapping, numerous parcels have been identified within the FHSZs that have never been inspected.

California Health & Safety Code, Section 14902, allows recovery of inspection program costs. In 1989, the Los Angeles County Dept. of Agricultural Commissioner, Weights and Measures, was authorized by the board of supervisors to recover their inspection program costs. The fire department resisted imposing this fee until 2022. Working with the board of supervisors, the fire department agreed to phase in the brush inspection fee over a three-year period. In 2022, the fee was $50 (to be billed on the 2023 property tax bill); in 2023, the fee will be $100 (to be billed on the 2024 property tax bill); and in 2024, the fee will be $151 (to be billed on the 2025 property tax bill). These fees will be assessed on all declared hazardous properties whether or not they are cleared by the property owner. The fee is intended to offset the Department’s costs in an effort to keep the Brush Clearance Inspection Program cost neutral.

Brush clearance inspections are scheduled to begin on April 1 in desert communities, on May 1 in inland communities and June 1 in coastal communities.

If hazardous fire conditions exist on a property at the time of inspection, the property owner will be issued an Official Inspection Report that will indicate existing violations and provide specific clearing instructions and a compliance deadline.

Information regarding brush clearance requirements and responsibilities can be obtained on the website https://fire.lacounty.gov/fire-hazard-reduction-programs/or by contacting the Brush Clearance Unit at (626) 969-2375.