Real Estate Vegetation Management Inspections

In Santee, California

Why was Assembly Bill 38 (AB-38) created?

In 2017, over 1.3 million acres burned in high-severity wildfires and over 10,000 structures were destroyed. In 2018, over 1.8 million acres were burned and over 22,700 structures were destroyed. According to CAL FIRE, defensible space is critical and can increase a home's chance of surviving a wildfire. 

Overwhelming data suggests the two most important factors in protecting homes from wildfire are selection of building materials, and the maintenance of vegetation and other flammable materials to establish adequate defensible space. While existing building codes and standards ensure that newly constructed buildings utilize appropriate fire-resistant materials, there are millions of homes in California that were built before these standards were established. AB-38 creates a two-pronged approach to educate and provide resources to help homeowners in fire hazard zones protect their homes from wildfires. 

Read Assembly Bill 38

What you need to do in five steps

1) Disclose if the home is in a fire hazard severity zone 

The requirement was added for a seller of real property in a high or very high fire severity zone, on or after January 1, 2021, to provide a standardized disclosure notice to a buyer that includes information on how to harden a home and which features of the home may be vulnerable to wildfire and flying embers. If your home is in an area with a color, then it is in a FHSZ.

Search Addresses in CAL Fire's Fire Hazard Severity Zones

2) Disclose any features on the home that are vulnerable to wildfire and flying embers 

The seller shall disclose which of the listed features may make the home vulnerable to wildfire and flying embers, if any, that exist on the home of which the seller is aware:

• Eave, soffit and roof ventilation where the vents have openings more than one-eighth of an inch or are not flame- and ember-resistant. 
  
• Roof coverings made of untreated wood shingles or shakes. 
  
• Combustible landscaping or other materials within five feet of the home and under the footprint of any attached deck. 
  
• Single pane or non-tempered glass windows. 
  
• Loose or missing bird stopping or roof flashing. 
  
• Rain gutters without metal or noncombustible gutter covers. 

3) Before Scheduling an inspection

Before scheduling an inspection, please review the following requirements. Zone 1 requirements often require large amounts of vegetation to be removed within the first 30 feet of the home. It is especially important to note the separation distances between shrubs and trees. 

Defensible Space – Practical ways to protect your home from wildfire 

Defensible Space and the Law – CAL FIRE’s Guide to Defensible Space Requirements 

General Guidelines for Creating Defensible Space

4) Schedule a defensible space inspection with the Fire Department

If your property is within the jurisdiction of the Santee Fire Department, please fill out our Defensible Space Fire Inspection Request Form to schedule an inspection. If your property is within the jurisdiction of another local fire department, please contact the corresponding fire department.

Inspection fees are currently not being charged. Documentation of compliance will be provided only if the home meets local vegetation management standards. If corrections need to be made, a list of corrections will be provided. Once corrected please contact your fire inspector to schedule a reinspection. 

Defensible Space Fire Inspection Request Form

5)  Provide a list of low-cost retrofits to protect a home from wildfire

This is a new requirement that was added for a seller of real property in a high or very high fire severity zone, on or after July 1, 2025, to provide a list of low-cost retrofits being developed by the State Fire Marshal and to what extent those retrofits have been completed by the seller. 

Low Cost Retrofit List from CAL FIRE