State Provides Fire Prevention Fee Information Resources

This outreach effort is being implemented as a result of Assembly Bill X1 29, which was signed into law July 7, 2012 establishing a fee for fire prevention services in the 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA).

Earlier this year the Department established a website, FirePreventionFee.org, which contains comprehensive information about the fee and helpful links to maps, the law language, and answers frequently asked questions. Additionally, a customer service call center is staffed Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except holidays) to further aid homeowners that have questions about the Fire Prevention Fee. The call center number is 1-888-310-6447.

The revenue generated from the fee pays for fire prevention services within the SRA. Fire prevention services funded by the fee include brush clearance around communities, fire break construction, defensible space inspections, fire prevention engineering, emergency evacuation planning, fire prevention education, fire hazard severity mapping, implementation of the State’s Fire Plan, and fire related law enforcement activities such as fire cause determination and arson investigation.

Under the law, the Board of Equalization (BOE) is responsible for collecting the fee. The BOE began mailing the bills alphabetically by county on August 13, 2012.