Journal ·
Pasadena Very High Fire Zone: Brush Rules and AB 38 at Sale
Pasadena adopted a new fire hazard severity zone map on July 21, 2025, and it moved the count of properties in the Very High zone from 3,911 to 4,610. Properties in that zone are on the Pasadena Fire Department's annual brush clearance inspection list. A seller in a High or Very High zone must also give the buyer documentation of defensible space compliance under California's AB 38 rule, and since July 1, 2026 the city charges $162 for that sale inspection.
The rules below apply inside the City of Pasadena. Altadena and other unincorporated areas next to the city are Los Angeles County territory and fall under county rules, and a Pasadena mailing address does not by itself put a house inside city limits. Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction first.
What changed with Pasadena's 2025 fire hazard map?
The state fire marshal sent the city an updated map for its Local Responsibility Area on March 24, 2025. State law gave the city 120 days to adopt it. The ordinance fact sheet for the second reading reports these changes:
- The previous map dated from July 1, 2008. It used two tiers, High Hazard and Interface Zone. The new map uses the state's three classes: Very High, High and Moderate.
- 887 parcels were added to the Very High zone and 188 were removed.
- Annual inspections in the Very High zone rise by 18 percent, handled with existing staff.
- Staff wrote that adoption "creates no new regulatory requirements." The rules stayed the same. What changed is which houses they reach.
The signed Ordinance No. 7451 amends Pasadena Municipal Code section 14.28.500 and adopts the map dated March 24, 2025. The City Council passed it on July 21, 2025, and it took effect on publication, July 24, 2025. The city's fire hazard severity zone page still shows the spring 2025 comment period and an embedded map. CAL FIRE's own FAQ points owners to an address lookup at osfm.fire.ca.gov/FHSZ.
A house that was outside the zone when its owners bought it may be inside it now. Check the current map, not the disclosure packet from the last sale.
What does a Pasadena brush clearance inspection check?
The fire department's Inspection Services page says crews conduct "annual brush clearance inspections during the spring and summer." It lists the standards it checks, citing Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 14.29 (Flammable Vegetation):
| Item | Standard on the city page | Code cited |
|---|---|---|
| Dead trees, grass and weeds | Remove dead trees; mow within 200 ft of any structure | 14.29.040 |
| Combustible fence | Mow within 10 ft | 14.29.040 |
| Street, alley or driveway | Mow within 10 ft | 14.29.040 |
| Street or alley | No growth over it below 13.5 ft | 14.29.040 |
| Trees within 30 ft of a structure or 10 ft of a street, alley or driveway | Clear ground cover, twigs and branches within 3 ft of the ground | 14.29.040 |
| All trees and shrubs | Free of dead foliage | 14.29.040 |
| Chimney opening | No vegetation within 10 ft | 14.29.040 |
| Roof | Free of twigs, needles and leaves; 5 ft vertical clearance to foliage | 14.29.040 |
| House number | At least 4 in high and 2 in wide, not hidden by plants | 14.20.040 |
Living evergreen trees are excluded from the 3-foot limbing rule. The page also notes that street numbers, abandoned vehicles and discarded junk are common problems found during brush surveys.
Is it 100 feet or 200 feet?
The city's own documents give different baselines. The web page above says 200 feet. The department's Hazardous Vegetation brochure, form PFD2027 revised February 2013, says to mow within 100 feet of any building, including buildings on adjacent property, and adds that "clearance up to 200 feet from a structure and 50 feet from a fence or roadway may be required" in extremely hazardous areas. The brochure also allows grasses under 18 inches beyond 30 feet from a building where needed to stop erosion.
State law sets the floor. Government Code section 51182 requires 100 feet of defensible space around an occupied dwelling in a Very High zone, generally stopping at the property line. It adds a 5-foot ember-resistant zone next to the house, with details left to state Board of Forestry regulations. It also requires removing any part of a tree within 10 feet of a chimney outlet and keeping the roof clear of vegetative debris. Cities may adopt stricter rules. The brochure and the web page both describe work beyond the state minimum, so plan for the larger figure until the fire department tells you otherwise for your parcel.
What does AB 38 require when you sell?
Civil Code section 1102.19 applies to sales of property in a High or Very High fire hazard severity zone since July 1, 2021. The seller gives the buyer documentation that the property complies with the defensible space rules, along with information on the local agency where a copy can be obtained. If the seller does not have it, the buyer and seller sign a written agreement that the buyer will obtain it. If no local ordinance requires the documentation but an inspection is available, the buyer must obtain it within one year of the close of escrow.
A separate duty sits in Government Code section 51183.5: the seller must disclose that the property is in a Very High zone and is subject to section 51182. That disclosure is usually made on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement. Our explainer on the Natural Hazard Disclosure report covers the form itself.
The Pasadena Fire Department takes sale inspection requests through an AB38 form on its Inspection Services page. It asks for the property address, the owner or seller's name and contact details to schedule the visit.
What does the AB 38 inspection cost in Pasadena?
The City Council adopted the Fire Department's fiscal year 2027 fee schedule on June 8, 2026. The agenda report proposed a new "transaction-based" fee of $162 for AB 38 brush inspections, which it describes as the evaluation required for home sellers in High or Very High zones. The council approved the item that night, per the meeting recap. Fiscal year 2027 began July 1, 2026.
The 2013 brochure lists older figures for the annual program: an inspection fee, waived if no violations are found or if violations are fixed within 30 days, plus reinspection fees. The brochure itself says "all fees subject to change," so confirm the current amounts with the department.
How should the inspection fit the sale timeline?
The inspection is scheduled by the fire department, not by escrow, so it belongs at the front of the listing plan:
- Look up the address on the current state map before listing.
- If it is in a High or Very High zone, request the AB38 inspection when the house goes on the market, not after an offer arrives.
- Clear to the stricter standard: 200 feet where the lot allows, 10 feet at fences, drives and chimney, 5 feet above the roof, 13.5 feet over the street.
- If a tree has to come out for clearance, check it against Pasadena's protected tree rules first.
- If the report is not ready by closing, put the buyer's obligation in a signed agreement, as section 1102.19 allows.
- Keep the report with the disclosure packet so the agency name is on file.
Hillside lots in the zone may carry other review steps as well. Our guide to the Pasadena hillside development permit explains them, and the Glendale AB 38 article shows how a neighboring city runs the same state rule. Sellers can start with a home valuation and the selling process; buyers can see how Alla works on the buying side.
This article summarizes Pasadena Fire Department publications, city council records and California statutes as posted in October 2026 and is not legal or fire safety advice. Confirm the current map, clearance distances and fees with the Pasadena Fire Department before listing or buying. Call Alla at (818) 699-5367 or use the enquiry form.
More on the city: the Pasadena area guide.