Annual Hazard Abatement Program (including vacant lots)

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Fires are a serious problem in California. In an effort to reduce the threat of wildfires, the Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) has determined that accumulation of combustible vegetation and rubbish endanger the health, safety and welfare of Fire District Residents and are dangerous to property.

WFPD adopted a local ordinance No. 23-02 Public Nuisance for Fire Hazard Abatement (FHA). The primary function of the Fire Hazard Abatement Program is to reduce the risk of fires within communities by pro-actively establishing defensible space and reduction/removal of flammable materials on properties.

The Fire Hazard Abatement Program conducts property surveys to identify fire hazards throughout the year. The Fire Hazard Abatement Program responds to complaints year-round.

The Hazard Abatement and Inspection program exist to address enforcement and safety issues and is not provided as a service. Property owners need to follow and meet the standards by their own effort or by hiring a private contractor. These standards apply to all parcels within the Fire District including vacant parcels.

Fire Hazard Abatement is an important component in keeping our communities safe and minimizing the devastating effects of wildfires within our communities.

File a Hazard Abatement Complaint

Abatement Requirements with NO structures (open, vacant lots)

Grasses and forbs shall be cut to less than 4 inches *Must be cut by June 1st or when dried out.
Removal of dead, diseased, or dying trees
Prune trees to remove dead material
Trim trees: (Limbs and undergrowth) create six feet of vertical spacing between branches or foliage off the ground or the lower 1/3 of branches for trees less than 18ft.
Non-irrigated dead brush removed
Remove all combustible material or rubbish from the property
Access Roads: 10 ft horizontally from the edge of the roads and 13 ft 6in vertically overhead clearance.
- Thin / Trim / Prune / Cut back trees and vegetation 13ft6in unobstructed overhead (vertical) clearance and 10ft from sides of the road (horizontally) in the same manner as defensible space requirements (found in the guidelines)
- Remove dead or dying vegetation, encroaching the roadway
- Consider removal of hazardous vegetation (flammable five) such as juniper, cypress, pine, acacia, eucalyptus, and bamboo within 10ft of the roadway

Abatement Requirements with Structures

Follow requirements set forth in the Fuel Mitigation Ordinance No. 24-01
Download the Guidelines for Defensible Space (Interpretation of Ordinance 24-01)

Process

Fire hazards are identified and notices to abate the hazard(s) are mailed to property owners. Property owners are given 10 days to abate the violations, unless they contact the Fire District and request for an extension. Failure to abate may result in citations, penalties, and/or fees for abatement by WFPD.

Initial property surveys are conducted
A Notice and Order to Abate is issued to properties where fire hazards have been identified.
There is a 10-day timeframe to comply or to contact WFPD to request an extension.
A property owner may appeal the Notice and Order to Abate within the 10-day compliance timeframe.
A second survey (10-15 days later) is conducted after the Notice and Order to Abate compliance
Non-compliant properties are issued a Notice and Intent to Abate notice following the second property survey.
Non-compliant properties may also receive a Pre-Citation Notice, prior to issuing an Administrative Citation.
The property owner has an additional 10 days from the Notice and Intent to Abate mailing date to contact our office and submit photographic evidence of completed abatement or an inspector will return to verify.
WFPD will initiate action to abate fire hazards on the non-compliant parcels at the owner's expense.
The contractor completes the abatement, and the property owner is billed for the work.
An abatement invoice is generated and sent to the property owner of the non-compliant property for all outstanding costs, which may include: Non-compliance fee, administrative fee, contractor abatement cost.
After 30 days of non-payment, a special assessment and a lien will be placed against the property. San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder will be notified of the unpaid bill.
A property owner may appeal to the Board of Directors in writing, and filed with the Fire Code Official within 10 days of receipt of this Notice and Order to Abate.
- All such property owners having objections to the removal of such combustible and hazardous vegetation, are hereby notified to attend a meeting of The Board of Directors, to be held at the hour of 7:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month, where objections will be heard and given due consideration.
- Information on how to attend the meeting virtually and make a public comment can be found on the agenda, which is available on our website: https://www.woodsidefire.org/our-district/district-overview/board-of-directors/meeting-agendas-and-minutes/-folder-82 72 hours prior to the meeting.
- In the event of an appeal, the nuisance must be abated 10 calendar days from the District Board of Director’s decision, unless the appeal is sustained.

Administrative Citation Information