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Wildfire Mitigation Contractors in Riverside County, CA
Riverside County in 30 secondsContractors, local rules, where to get help
64 wildfire mitigation contractors are listed for Riverside County, 29 with a clear CSLB license.
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The Office of the State Fire Marshal issued Riverside County's 2025 Local Responsibility Area FHSZ maps on March 24, 2025, rating land as Moderate, High or Very High; state law required Riverside County Fire to adopt them by ordinance within 120 days, and the department said it was not proposing any additions or increases. In the Local Responsibility Area, Very High zones require 100 feet of defensible space (state law already requires it around buildings throughout the State Responsibility Area), and both High and Very High zones bring home-hardening and WUI building code requirements plus a disclosure when you sell. Check a parcel on the Riverside County Fire Department's FHSZ map; residents of Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Corona, Hemet, Murrieta, Palm Springs and Riverside, which provide their own fire services, should contact their city.
- Defensible space rules
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Ordinance 695 (as amended through 695.4) covers hazardous vegetation (weeds, brush, stubble, dry leaves, tumbleweeds) and combustible rubbish on unimproved parcels in unincorporated Riverside County. After a Notice of Violation and Order to Abate, the owner must clear what the notice specifies within 30 days. Vacant parcels next to occupied parcels or roadways may need 100 feet of clearance along the adjoining property lines, while vacant parcels next to other vacant parcels may not need any; the Fire Chief can require more or less. If the hazard is cleared before or within 30 days of the notice, no further action is required. Owners may appeal in writing within 15 calendar days of the notice's postmark. If the work isn't done, the county can clear it and bill the owner, with unpaid costs becoming a lien on the property tax bill. Willful violations carry a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day, and criminal fines run up to $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second, with a third treated as a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail. Ordinance 772 separately covers abandoned or neglected orchards, groves and vineyards, with a 30-day appeal window and misdemeanor fines of $100 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
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In the San Jacinto Mountains, the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council uses CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention grants to cover 75% of defensible space and dead-tree removal projects for homeowners in its mountain communities (the owner pays 25%, with no income or other qualifying conditions). Homeowners are asked to maintain the work with hand tools afterward, so defensible space grants are available once every three years.
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In unincorporated Riverside County, the Riverside County Fire Department (CAL FIRE) Hazard Reduction Office enforces Ordinance 695, which can require a 100-foot cleared strip on vacant land next to homes and roads, with owners given 30 days to comply after a Notice to Abate. State law requires 100 feet of defensible space around buildings throughout the State Responsibility Area and in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones of the Local Responsibility Area, and the 2025 State Fire Marshal maps added High or Very High zones in communities such as Mead Valley, French Valley and Temescal Valley. Contractors below are ranked by public Google rating.
More in Riverside County 54
Serving all of California 8
Also on record 6
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Ember Pro
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Karls Dump Truck & Tractor
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Norco Touch Tree Services
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Southwest Fire Protection
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Wildfire Hardening Pros (CXI Construction Contractors)
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Windy Tree Inc
Defensible space rules in Riverside County
Fire hazard zones in Riverside County
On March 24, 2025, the State Fire Marshal issued new Local Responsibility Area hazard maps for Riverside County, rating land as Moderate, High or Very High. State law gave the county 120 days to adopt them by ordinance, and Riverside County Fire said it was not proposing any additions or increases. KESQ reported that parts of Banning, Canyon Lake, French Valley, Mead Valley, Meadowbrook, Menifee, Moreno Valley and Temescal Valley now carry High or Very High ratings, while much of the Coachella Valley is Moderate. In the Local Responsibility Area, Very High zones require 100 feet of defensible space; in the State Responsibility Area, state law requires it around every building. Both High and Very High zones bring home-hardening and WUI building code requirements, and you must disclose the zone when you sell. Check your parcel on the department’s FHSZ map. Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Corona, Hemet, Murrieta, Palm Springs and Riverside handle their own maps.
Local rules and deadlines
The Hazard Reduction Office enforces Ordinance 695 on vacant land. A Notice of Violation and Order to Abate sets what must be cleared. Vacant parcels next to occupied parcels or roads may need 100 feet of clearance along the shared property lines. Vacant parcels next to other vacant land may need none. You have 30 days to comply, and if you clear the hazard in that time, no further action is required. The office recommends taking before and after photos and calling to report the work done. Appeals must be made in writing within 15 calendar days of the notice’s postmark. After the deadline, the county can clear the land and bill you, and unpaid costs become a property tax lien. Penalties include civil fines of up to $1,000 per day for willful violations. Criminal fines run up to $100 for a first offense, and a third violation can bring $1,000 and six months in jail. Ordinance 772 covers neglected orchards, groves and vineyards and allows 30 days to appeal. Owners must keep their property maintained all year.
Fire-safe programs and cost-share help
In the unincorporated communities of the San Jacinto Mountains, the Idyllwild-based Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council uses CAL FIRE grants to cover 75% of defensible space and dead-tree removal projects, with the homeowner paying the other 25%. Defensible space grants are available once every three years.
County resources
Questions about a notice go to the Hazard Reduction Office at 88 East Rider Street in Perris, (951) 943-0640, open Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Fire Prevention Technician can help you plan the clearing. You can report an overgrown parcel with the vegetation hazard complaint form. The department also keeps its own list of weed abatement contractors. The contractors listed below serve Riverside County and can clear a parcel before the 30-day deadline.
Frequently asked questions 5
Who enforces weed abatement and defensible space in unincorporated Riverside County?
The Riverside County Fire Department Hazard Reduction Office in Perris enforces Ordinances 695 and 772 on hazardous vegetation and neglected orchards, groves and vineyards. The department operates under contract with CAL FIRE. Cities that provide their own fire services enforce their own rules.
What happens if I ignore a Notice to Abate?
You have 30 days to clear the hazard; if you clear it within that time, no further action is required. Appeals under Ordinance 695 must be made in writing within 15 calendar days of the notice's postmark (30 days for Ordinance 772 orchard notices). If the property still isn't cleared, the county can do the work and bill you; unpaid costs are added to your property taxes as a lien. Willful violations can also bring civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, and criminal fines of up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail for a third.
How wide does the clearance have to be?
Vacant parcels next to occupied parcels or roadways may need 100 feet of clearance along the adjoining property lines, as specified in your notice; vacant parcels next to other vacant parcels may not need clearance. Under state law, owners of buildings anywhere in the State Responsibility Area, and of occupied homes in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the Local Responsibility Area, must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around them (but not beyond the property line).
Am I in a fire hazard severity zone?
Check your address on the Riverside County Fire Department's FHSZ map. The 2025 State Fire Marshal maps rate areas as Moderate, High or Very High. If you live in Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Corona, Hemet, Murrieta, Palm Springs or Riverside, contact that city.
Is there help paying for clearing?
In the San Jacinto Mountains, the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council covers 75% of eligible defensible space and dead-tree removal projects through CAL FIRE grants, with the owner paying 25%. A small low-income program can help Idyllwild HELP Center clients with their share.