Citizen Complaint Inspections

Complaint inspections are done when a citizen is concerned about a potential fire hazard. Complaints can be related to buildings or brush management/weed abatement.

Complaints related to buildings or building access should be referred to the Fire Hazard Advisor at (619) 533-4411. If a complaint involves conditions inside individual "dwelling units," it should be directed to Neighborhood Code Compliance at (619) 236-5500, unless the complaint is related to fire protection (i.e. smoke detectors, malfunctioning alarm system, etc.).

A "dwelling unit" is a building or portion thereof which contains living facilities (i.e. provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation). A dwelling unit could be a single family home, an apartment in an apartment building, a condominium in a larger residential building, etc.

Complaints concerning "combustible waste matter" should meet the legal definition found in the Uniform Fire Code. Combustible waste matter: "includes magazines; books; trimmings from lawns, trees or flower gardens; pasteboard boxes; rags; paper; straw; sawdust; packing material; shavings; boxes; rubbish; and refuse that will ignite through contact with flames of ordinary temperature."

A complaint about a fire hazard created by brush should be directed to the Fire Hazard Advisor at (619) 533-4444.

See Brush Management/Weed Abatement for a description of "brush" and A City of San Diego Guide to Fire Safety and Brush Management for Private Property (PDF: 499K) for brush management requirements.

A complaint about a fire hazard created by weeds should also be directed to the Fire Hazard Advisor at (619) 533-4444.

Weeds are an issue when they create the following problems:

• fire hazards to structures;
• visual hazards to motor traffic, bicyclists or pedestrians;
• physical hazards to motor traffic, bicyclists or pedestrians;
• an impediment in the right-of-way; or
• an impediment to drainage.