Defensible space and yard waste cleanup

What the County asks you to clear

San Bernardino County's mountain fire-hazard rules (County Code §23.0304) spell out what counts as a fire hazard on mountain properties. The main ones:

• Grass and weeds taller than 4 inches
• Pine needles, leaf litter or chipped mulch deeper than 2 inches
• Branches within 6 feet of the ground on trees taller than 12 feet, within 100 feet of structures
• Dead branches and leaf litter within 100 feet of structures, and downed limbs under 4 inches across (stacked firewood excepted)
• High-fire shrubs such as manzanita, juniper and mountain whitethorn within 15 feet of a structure
• Limbs within 10 feet of a chimney, and needles or leaves on roofs
• Flammable plants within 10 feet of a road

State law: 100 feet of defensible space

California Public Resources Code §4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around each structure in fire-prone wildland areas, out to the property line. The clearing is heaviest within 30 feet, there is an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet, and any part of a tree within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet has to go.

The state Board of Forestry adopted emergency rules for that first 5 feet, called Zone 0, in August 2026. They take effect once the state's Office of Administrative Law approves them, and existing homes get a phase-in period of several years. Clearing dead plants, needles and mulch right next to the house is a good start either way.

When inspections happen and who does them

San Bernardino County runs annual defensible-space inspections that start in June in mountain communities including Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Valley of Enchantment, Cedarpines Park, Rimforest, Twin Peaks, Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear and Fawnskin. Local press reported that the program moved from Land Use Services to County Fire on June 1, 2026. The County's abatement page gives owners 30 days to fix what an inspector finds before citations or County-hired abatement with fees.

In Big Bear Valley, the Big Bear Fire Department handles defensible-space inspections everywhere except Fawnskin, which falls to the County Fire Marshal. Big Bear Fire mailed 2026 weed-abatement letters, says vacant lots must be abated too, and warns that a citation can come without a notice first.

Use the free options first

If your pile is small, start with the free programs. In the 2026 season, free curbside chipping ran twice a month in Rim communities and monthly in the Big Bear area, with sign-ups from mid-May into September. The Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council also runs a green-waste pickup on the Rim. It says local waste service no longer collects bagged leaves, pine cones and needles there, and its free pickup registration is closed until spring 2027.

Clean Mountain Sites take contained green waste from subscribing households, with branches bundled no longer than 4 feet and no more than 2 feet across. They do not take trailer loads or loose material, and landscapers and third-party haulers cannot use them.

When the pile is bigger than those programs take, or the inspection date is close, that is where a dumpster or a haul-away fits.

Dumpster or haul-away?

Rent the dumpster if you are clearing over a weekend or two and want to load as you go. Brush and needles are bulky but light, so they add less to the disposal bill than the same pile of logs or stumps. If you would rather we do the loading, book junk removal and we will quote the job from photos.

Either way, call or text before you load green waste. Tell us what is in the pile (needles, brush, limbs, logs or stumps) so we can confirm how it should be loaded and whether anything has to go separately.

Loading tips for green waste

A few habits make a yard-waste load go smoothly:

• Keep green waste separate from household trash. California's organics law treats yard trimmings as recyclable, and the high-elevation waivers on the mountain cover food waste only, not yard waste.
• Cut limbs to 4 feet or less. That is the length limit at the County's transfer stations.
• Never load ashes, coals or anything from a burn pile that could still be warm. County sites reject hot ashes, and a smoldering load is a fire risk on the road.
• Mention logs, rounds and stumps up front. They are heavy, and disposal is billed by weight after dumping.
• Set the dumpster on your driveway or a cleared, level spot on your property, not in the street.