Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP)
The Fire Hazard Reduction Program, commonly referred to as “FHRP”, is the cornerstone of our Wildland Fire Action Plan. Property owners included in the program will receive an annual “Notice to Abate Fire Hazard” and are expected to maintain their property free of fire hazards or nuisance vegetation year round. Common requirements are 100-feet of vegetation clearance from structures and 10-feet for road access. See Ventura County Fire Code Chapter 49 for specific requirements of the FHRP program.
Our program has been used as a model by many jurisdictions throughout the nation and is included in the library at the National Fire Academy. Our efforts have been validated by the reduced number of structures lost in our county during wildfire events.
Notices to Abate Fire Hazard are mailed to the property owner of record around April 20th. Parcel inspections start the last week of May. The Annual Fire Hazard Clearance Deadline is June 1st.
If you received a Notice To Abate Fire Hazard from the Ventura County Fire Department, you can check to see if your inspection has been approved by clicking here.
Do not use this link for Real Estate Inspection Compliance Reports. If your parcel is located within the Cities of Fillmore, Oxnard, or Ventura, please contact the City Fire Department.
- If you would like to notify the Fire District that your required fire hazard clearance has been completed or to request additional information, please click here.
Parcels not cleared by the deadline are subject to abatement by the Fire District with the contractors cost and the current administrative fee. These fees are placed as a tax lien on the parcel. There are no fees assessed if you complete your required clearance.
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.
- Plant Reference Guide
- Prohibited Plant List
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Definitions Applicable to the Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP)
- VCFPD Standard 517 Application of Mulch and Chips in Defensible Space
- Tips for Safe Weed-Clearing
- FHRP Abatement Assessment and Appeal Process Guideline
- VCFPD Standard 515- Defensible Space and Fuel Modification Zones
- VCFPD Administrative Ruling 806- Fuel Mosaic in Defensible Space Zones
- 416 - Landscape and Fuel Modification Zone Plans
- 418 - Defensible Space
- 420 - Changes in Defensible Space Laws and Regulations