Zone 0…Will They or Won’t They?

In response to the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires in California over the last decade, the Legislature passed AB 3074 (2020) and SB 504 (2024), to require the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) to establish an ember-resistant defensible zone the first 5 feet around a structure, referred to as Zone 0.  Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-18-25 requires that the Board complete rule making for Zone 0 no later than December 31, 2025.

The end of 2025 deadline passed with no changes being made and the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection committee’s progress has been pushed back to March 2026 at the earliest. There was tremendous support for the adoption of a Zone 0 rule change from firefighters, wildfire scientists, FireSafe and Firewise leaders, among others. Homeowners and landscaping interests have resisted the measures though, not based on fire science but on asserting, without evidence, that “well-maintained plants protect homes.”

The practical question becomes, “Is compromise the solution? Would a two foot absolute non-combustible zone in conjunction with an additional thee feet of “safer” (i.e. high water content vegetation) be acceptable? Would irrigated vegetation be an exception? Given enough time and heat it will all burn, so a true five foot non-combustible zone would give firefighters more time to respond , which is a critical element containing a wildfire.

In the short term, The state and local fire districts lack the authority to enforce the proposed stricter rules. This means that the community will enter another fire season without the needed reduction in fire fuels around homes, further increasing the fire danger and adding pressure to a fragile insurance market.

More information on Zone 0 can be found at the CA State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s website and an excellent summary on the Cal Fire website.