As of late September 2026, Riverside’s announced Spring 2026 start for wildfire safety inspections has passed. In Riverside, California, the job now is to find out whether your property is in the inspection area and, if it is, get the yard clearance done before a visit.
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Check whether your property is in an inspection zone
The Riverside Fire Department says city inspectors visit properties in designated High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones within city limits. The city’s annual clearance notice applies to properties in those zones. Check your notice, or ask the Riverside Fire Department whether your address is covered before you hire someone for inspection work.
Don’t use the age of the house as your test. The department says defensible-space requirements apply to structures regardless of when they were built. My ranch is old enough to make that worth saying plainly: the relevant questions are where the property sits and what surrounds its structures.
Know what an inspector looks at
This is an outdoor inspection. Riverside Fire Department inspectors assess the area immediately around the home and up to 100 feet from structures where applicable; they do not enter the property’s interior. They look for overgrown or unmaintained hazardous vegetation, accumulated combustible materials or debris, and inadequate defensible space around structures or outbuildings…