Brush Clearance

Homeowners are required to clear brush, yet government-owned land remains untouched, creating dangerous fuel loads for future wildfires.

While other California counties routinely engage in proactive wildfire mitigation, like brush clearance, strategic grazing, and controlled burns, Los Angeles County continues to neglect these proven tools, turning large swaths of land into wildfire tinderboxes.

The consequences are escalating. From the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire to the 2025 Palisades and Eaton Fires, we’ve seen entire communities destroyed, lives upended, and billions in damage. And yet, Los Angeles County and the City of Malibu still refuse to implement or enforce comprehensive wildfire prevention programs on public lands.

Homeowners are being held to a double standard. Residents are required by law to perform annual brush clearance under threat of fines, even fire victims who lost everything are forced to clear brush just to begin rebuilding. Meanwhile, the same government agencies demanding compliance are failing to clear their own vacant lots, right-of-ways, and public lands. These parcels remain dangerously overgrown, with no accountability and no urgency, creating a massive and preventable wildfire risk.

This isn’t just negligence, it’s hypocrisy. Fire doesn’t respect property lines. One neglected government-owned lot can ignite an entire neighborhood, no matter how compliant surrounding homeowners are.

We are calling for action:

• Mandatory and enforceable brush clearance on all at-risk lands, public and private.
• Annual inspections and fines for non-compliance, including for city, county, and state agencies.
• Transparent records so the public can see what’s been cleared, and what hasn’t.
• Emergency clearance authority for neglected properties.
• Relief for fire victims burdened with clearance costs just to rebuild their homes.

Taxpayers are funding fire departments and emergency management. Why are we not funding basic fire prevention? Why are residents doing their part while public agencies ignore their own responsibilities?

It’s time for the City of Malibu, Los Angeles County, and the State of California to lead by example. Stop fueling the next firestorm. Clear the brush. All of it.