Lot Cleaning Guidelines and Resources
Lot inspections begin july 8, 2024
CAL Fire requires all property owners to be in fire-safe compliance which means, at the minimum, clearing a 100-foot perimeter around your home every spring. There are also specific regulations that owners of unimproved (empty) lots must comply with as well. For more specific regulations, please visit the EPFD website.
If and when you have contracted for the services of a lot cleaning service, it is very important to email the BTVPOA office at manager@bigtreesvllage.org or call (209) 795-1971 to let us know who you’ve hired. Please include your name and BTV address in your message. With this notification, our lot inspectors will not inspect your property.
General Lot Cleaning Guidelines
Within 30′ of structures: needles, dead branches/limbs, and other vegetative materials are removed. Vegetative material and overhanging limbs are removed/trimmed away from roof tops; chimneys and stovepipes are covered with mesh screens to prevent sparks.
Within 100′ of structures (or to property line, whichever is closer): mountain misery/bear clover is trimmed to 4″ or less; dead brush around trees is removed; dead material is thinned from live vegetative material; wood piles are cleared of debris 10′ around (and preferably are located at least 30′ from structures.)
Note that lot cleaning inspectors also are checking for visible address numbers on your property so that emergency personnel can find your home, especially at night. The Calaveras County Sheriff Department can provide reflective numbers to you for a small fee.
Unimproved lots are inspected by Ebbetts Pass Fire, although our inspectors often pass on problems they observe. If you have an unimproved lot that you feel needs to be addressed, call the Ebbetts Pass Fire Prevention Officer at 209-795-7393.
If you have not yet been able to bring down dead trees resulting from the drought and/or bark beetle infestation, while our inspectors will not give notices for these again this year it is advisable for reasons of safety and liability for you to have a professional tree removal service remove the dead tree(s).
You are required to clean up limbs and branches on and around trees lying on the ground. If you are using a lot cleaning service, they may be able to help with bucking the trees, splitting, etc.
Remove vegetation from rooftops and be sure that your chimney has a cover.
Lot Cleaners
Property owners are encouraged to do due diligence when hiring a lot cleaning crew to ensure that your property will be cleared as mandated by CAL FIRE. Ebbetts Pass Fire District/CAL FIRE hosts regular Informational & Training meetings for Fire Prevention Vendors.
EPFD/CAL FIRE Lot Cleaner List
Debris Burn Permit Information