Fire Hazard Reduction and Partnership:
A working partnership between property owners, their neighbors, and the Ventura County Fire Department is the best defense against disastrous fires. Ventura County residents and property owners cannot ignore the fact that dry, poorly maintained vegetation creates an extreme fire danger to their homes. The Fire Department does not recommend indiscriminate clearing of native chaparral and other vegetation. Well-placed and well-maintained vegetation can beautify and control erosion in residential neighborhoods. Poorly maintained vegetation is a natural, volatile fuel for fast-spreading wildfires – an invitation to disaster. Property owners and residents can help protect their homes by joining in partnership with their neighbors and the Fire Department to assure compliance with the Department’s Fire Hazard Reduction Program, as outlined here. Ventura County Fire Department’s Ordinance is designed to minimize fire danger by controlling the density and placement of flammable vegetation. The goal is to maintain trees and vegetation that beautify and benefit a property, and to remove or reduce hazardous vegetation that provides a combustible fuel supply for wildfire. This defensible space aids our firefighters by giving them a tactical advantage in stopping a fire and saving lives and properties. This is important to every resident of Ventura County, where the fire season is year round.

The Ventura County Fire Department wants to work with you to create the most fire-safe community possible. Fire Department personnel welcome your questions and invitation to discuss vegetation management and other fire-related issues. For additional information, contact your neighborhood fire station or the FHRP Unit at (805) 389-9759 or fhrp@ventura.org.