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Fire Prevention Bureau

Fire Prevention, Life Safety, Vegetation Management, and Wildfire Hazard education, inspections, and code enforcement.

Fire Prevention and Life Safety 

Central Marin Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau provides full-servcie Fire Prevention and Life Safety servcies including code-enforcement, inspections, public education, and hazard abatement.

Larkspur

Read the Larkspur Municipal Code, including fire and building ordinances. 

Corte Madera

Read the Corte Madera Municipal Code including Fire and Building Ordinances.

Prevention Documents

Ruben Martin, Fire Marshal

Ruben Martin. Acting Fire Chief, Fire Marshal

Fire Prevention and Life Safety are critical objectives in the mission of the Central Marin Fire Department.  Through the adoption of fire codes and standards, we reduce the risk of fires and conflagration, which help protect the lives and property values in Corte Madera, Larkspur, Greenbrae, and neighboring communities.

Ruben Martin, Fire Marshal

Prevention Documents

FAQs

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Vegetation Management Fire Codes

CORTE MADERA

Section 4907.2 of Chapter 49 is hereby added and shall read as follows:

Section 4907.2 Fire Hazard Reduction. Any person who owns, leases, controls or maintains any building or structure, vacant lands, open space, and/or lands within specific Wildland-Urban Interface areas of the jurisdiction of the Town of Corte Madera shall comply with the following:

  1. Cut and remove all fire prone vegetation within 30 feet of structures, or up to 150 feet when topographic or combustible vegetative types necessitate removal as determined by the Fire Code Official.
  2. Remove accumulated dead vegetation on the property.
  3. Cut and remove tree limbs that overhang wood decks and roofs.
  4. Remove that portion of any tree which extends within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe, roof surfaces and roof gutters
  5. Clean any leaves and needles from roof and gutters.
  6. Cut and remove growth less than 3-inches in diameter, from the ground up to a maximum height of 10 feet, provided that no crown shall be raised to a point so as to remove branches from more than the lower one-third of the tree's total height.
  7. Vegetation clearance requirements for new construction and substantial remodels in Wildland-Urban Interface Areas shall be in accordance with the 2018 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, as amended by the Town of Corte Madera.

EXCEPTION 1: When approved by the Fire Code Official, single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or similar plants, or plants used as ground covers, provided that they do not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from the native growth to any structure.

EXCEPTION 2: When approved by the Fire Code Official, grass and other vegetation located more than 30 feet from buildings or structures and less than 18 inches in height above the ground need not be removed where necessary to stabilize soil, and prevent erosion.

Section 4908 of Chapter 49 is hereby added and shall read as follows:

Section 4908 Fire Hazard Reduction from Roadways. The Fire Code Official is authorized to cause areas within 10 feet on each side of portions of highways, fire apparatus access roads (improved or unimproved), and driveways (improved or unimproved), which are improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic to be cleared of flammable vegetation and other combustible growth. Corrective action, if necessary, shall be the same as the actions required in section 4907.2. The Fire Code Official is authorized to enter upon private property to carry out this work, subject to the same requirements of Section 104.3 and 104.3.1 or as otherwise permitted by law[JP1].

EXCEPTION 1: When approved by the Fire Code Official, single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or similar plants, or plants used as ground covers, provided that they do not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from the native growth to any structure.


LARKSPUR

Section 4907.2 Fire Hazard Reduction. Any person who owns, leases, controls or maintains any building or structure, vacant lands, open space, and/or lands within specific Wildland Urban Interface areas of the jurisdiction of the City of Larkspur shall comply with the following:

  1. Cut and remove all fire prone vegetation within 30 feet of structures, up to 150 feet when topographic or combustible vegetative types necessitate removal as determined by the Fire Code Official.

  2. Remove accumulated dead vegetation on the property.

  3. Cut and remove tree limbs that overhang wood decks and roofs.

  4. Remove that portion of any tree which extends within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe, roof surfaces and roof gutters

  5. Clean any leaves and needles from roof and gutters.

  6. Cut and remove growth less than 3-inches in diameter, from the ground up to a maximum height of 10 feet; provided, that no crown shall be raised to a point so as to remove branches from more than the lower one-third of the tree’s total height.

  7. Vegetation clearance requirements for new construction and substantial remodels in Wildland-Urban Interface Areas shall be in accordance with the 2018 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, as amended by the City of Larkspur.

EXCEPTION 1: When approved by the Fire Code Official, single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or similar plants, or plants used as ground covers; provided, that they do not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from the native growth to any structure.

EXCEPTION 2: When approved by the Fire Code Official, grass and other vegetation located more than 30 feet from buildings or structures less than 18 inches in height above the ground need not be removed where necessary to stabilize soil, and prevent erosion.

Section 4908 Fire Hazard Reduction from Roadways. The Fire Code Official is authorized to cause areas within 10 feet on each side of portions of highways, fire apparatus access roads (improved or unimproved), and driveways (improved or unimproved), which are improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic to be cleared of flammable vegetation and other combustible growth. Corrective action, if necessary, shall be the same as the actions required in section 4907.2. The Fire Code Official is authorized to enter upon private property to carry out this work.

EXCEPTION 1: When approved by the Fire Code Official, single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or similar plants, or plants used as ground covers; provided, that they do not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from the native growth to any structure.

Contact the Fire Prevention Bureau