§ 6.16.030 — Definitions

6.16.030 - Definitions.

For purposes of this chapter, the following words, phrases, and definitions shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them: Annual defensible space clearance notice means a notice issued by the City of Riverside to property owners within High Fire Hazard Severity Zones ("HFHSZ") and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones ("VHFHSZ"), informing them of their responsibility to maintain defensible space and comply with vegetation management requirements. Combustible material means the accumulation of garbage, rubbish, waste or material of any kind other than hazardous vegetation that is flammable and endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard. Defensible space means the area around a structure or outbuilding where vegetation, debris, and other combustible fuels are managed to reduce the spread of fire and provide firefighters with a safe working environment. Enforcement Official means the Fire Chief or other City employee(s) as designated by the Fire Chief. Fire Chief has the same meaning as defined in Section 1.18.010. Hazardous vegetation means vegetation that poses a fire hazard due to its dryness, density, or combustibility. This includes but is not limited to dead trees, dry grass, brush, and unmaintained vegetation that can contribute to the rapid spread of fire. High Fire Hazard Severity Zone ("HFHSZ") means a geographic area designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) as having a high fire hazard risk due to factors such as vegetation, topography, weather conditions, and fire history. Improved parcel refers to any portion of land, regardless of size, as defined by the Assessor's maps and records, identifiable by an Assessor's Parcel Number, and containing a structure. Official inspection report means a formal written document issued by the Enforcement Official to a property owner, outlining compliance or non-compliance requiring the removal of hazardous vegetation, waste, or combustible materials within a specified timeframe. Outbuilding means a structure that is more than 120 square feet in size and not used for human habitation. For purposes of this chapter, an "outbuilding" is not a "structure" as defined below. Non-hazardous vegetation, in the context of a defensible space ordinance, refers to plant species that are highly resistant to ignition and fire spread due to characteristics such as high moisture content, low resin or oil production, minimal accumulation of dead material, and reduced potential for ember generation, and which, when properly maintained, do not contribute to increased fire hazard by acting as ladder fuels, creating dense canopies, or obstructing defensible space requirements. Seasonal public nuisance refers to a designation applied to parcels with recurrent hazardous vegetation conditions that require repeated abatement actions by the City over multiple years. Structure, as used in this chapter, includes buildings that qualify for occupancy under the City's Building Code and Chapter 16.08. This includes residential dwellings (such as trailers and mobile homes, whether located in a park or on private property), commercial buildings, industrial buildings, government buildings, and any accessory structures deemed appropriate for a site address by the City. Sheds, buildings, or enclosures with a total floor area of 120 square feet or less are exempt. Unimproved parcel means land of any size, the area of which is determined by the County Assessor's maps and records and may be identified by an Assessor's Parcel Number upon which no structure is located. Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone ("VHFHSZ") means a geographic area designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) as having a very high fire hazard risk due to factors such as vegetation, topography, weather conditions, and fire history Weeds include those defined in Section 6.15.015, and any of the following: 1. Weeds which bear seeds of a downy or wingy nature; 2. Weeds and grasses which attain such growth as to become, when dry, a fire menace to adjacent improved property; 3. Dry grass, stubble, brush, or other flammable vegetation which endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard; 4. Vegetation that is not pruned or is otherwise neglected so as to attain such large growth as to become, when dry, a fire hazard to adjacent property.

(Ord. 7711, § 3(Exh. A), 2025)