El Dorado County Fire Safe Council

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The mission of EI Dorado County Fire Safe Council is to protect the people of EI Dorado County and their property from the effects of catastrophic wildfire through education, cooperation, innovation and action.
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Defensible Space Program Details

EFFECTIVE DEC. 1ST, 2023, THE EDCFSC HAS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING. WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS BUT THEY WILL NOT BE PROCESSED UNTIL FUNDS ARE RECEIVED.

The El Dorado County Fire Safe Council (EDCFSC) has been awarded funding to help create defensible space around the primary homes of seniors, veterans, low income and disabled residents on the Western Slope of El Dorado County. Applicants must be financially and physically unable to develop defensible space around their home. Creating defensible space around their homes will improve the chance of the residence surviving a fire. Removing excess vegetation could improve fire suppression efforts and provide a safe area for firefighters to defend the home and/or respond to emergency calls on the property.

  1. Participation in this program is voluntary and at no cost to the applicant.
  2. Residents are entitled to one service per annual year. Services provided are contingent upon the amount of funding we have received.
  3. Services are not based off an hourly limit, but a financial limit that has been equally disbursed through the county per property address.
  4. This program is intended to help you create defensible space (maximum 100 feet or to property line) around your primary residence. It is not to be used for clearing acreage or vacant parcels. This program will focus on the 30-75 feet immediately surrounding your home. Clearance provided by the EDCFSC may not meet the requirements of the State of California’s Public Resources Code 4291 and El Dorado County Ordinance No. 5101. It is still the resident’s or property owners’ responsibility to comply with fuel reduction requirements.

You must click on and read both sections below before continuing to the application:

  • After an application is received, EDCFSC will send out a licensed Evaluator to conduct a defensible space evaluation. Following the evaluation, a determination will be made as to if the application will be accepted. If the application is accepted, a Contractor will be scheduled to do the recommended work.
  • A licensed and insured land and tree service Contractor will perform the work as determined by the licensed Evaluator. The purpose of the work is to help create defensible space around the home.
  • Resident must be home in order to sign off on the work order recommended by the Evaluator. In some cases, not all work recommended will be completed.
  • Resident does not need to be home for clearing services to be completed. If resident wishes to be home, please inform the Contractor when they call you to put you on their schedule.
  • The contractor will rake pine needles/leaves, weed eat, remove brush and limb ladder fuel from trees around the home.
  • Program does NOT cover any work around blackberry bushes. If there are blackberry bushes in the way of work needing to be completed, it is the resident’s responsibility to remove them before applying.
  • Program does NOT clean roofs or gutters. 
  • Program does NOT haul away excess vegetation or green waste bags.
  • Program does NOT remove trees greater than 7″ in diameter.
  • If you had piles stacked for chipping, the resident is responsible for applying for Chipping Program services after Defensible Space clearing has been completed.
  • If Evaluator/Contractor cannot get ahold of the resident, their application will be canceled.
  • Bark beetle killed trees and/or other trees that are recommended for removal are the owner’s responsibility or may be eligible for removal through our Hazardous Tree Removal Program. You can access the application here: EDCFSC Hazard Tree Program Signup (arcgis.com)
  • We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Mutual respect between residents and all associates contracted with the EDCFSC is essential. Please file all complaints with our Assistance Programs Manager. You may find their contact info on our Contacts Page: edcfiresafe.org/contact/

To qualify, you must be one of the following:

Veteran (or Veteran’s
Widow/Widower)		 Senior EDC Low Income
Eligible		 Disabled
A copy of DD214, Proof of Veteran Identification
must be shown during the on-site defensible space evaluation.		 Proof of Age over 60 must be shown during the on-site defensible space evaluation. Eligibility is determined by the
El Dorado County Area
Low Income Chart (produced annually by the CA Department of Housing and Community Development).		 (Protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act)