What are California's Zone 0 rules, and are they in effect?
Not yet. The Board of Forestry voted for emergency Zone 0 rules on August 19, 2026, then withdrew them from the Office of Administrative Law on September 8, 2026, so they aren't in effect. Once they are, they cover homes in state responsibility areas and in local very high fire hazard zones, and they keep the first 5 ft around a home free of things embers can light: bark mulch, combustible fences and sheds, and plants against the walls.
The hazard zone, the department that inspects, past fires nearby and every rule that applies to your home.
What the August 2026 rules require
- Mulch and debris
- No combustible mulch, including bark and wood chips, within 5 ft of the home.
- Fences and gates
- No new combustible fences or gates within 5 ft of an occupied building. A fence attached to the home needs a 5 ft noncombustible section.
- Sheds
- No outbuildings within 5 ft unless they are built entirely of noncombustible materials.
- Trees
- Existing trees can stay, but no new trees can be planted within 5 ft.
- Plants
- A bare strip right next to the home (at least 1 ft, or out to the edge of the eave), 2 ft clear around windows, doors and vents, and 5 ft around attached decks. Beyond that, plants up to 18 in and lawn kept under 3 in.
Who it covers, and when
The Board's August summary says the rules cover all property owners in state responsibility areas and in very high fire hazard zones in local responsibility areas. Most of LA and Orange County is local; check your address to see which you are.
In the August text, new homes must comply when the rules take effect. Existing homes get three tiers: some tree and roof items on the effective date, most items within 3 years, and the bare strip under the eaves, gates, sheds and fences within 3 to 5 years, on a schedule your local fire agency sets.
Until the rules take effect, nothing in them is required. LA County Fire's 2026 notice said the requirements had not been identified yet. The dates start from whenever the final rules take effect, and the final text can change.
What to do now
Start with the work that doesn't wait on the rules and counts toward insurance discounts: clear the first 5 ft of mulch and anything that burns, clean the roof and gutters, and cover vents with fine metal mesh. Then meet your fire department's brush clearance rules for the 100 ft around the home.
Sources
- Office of Administrative Law, recent actions on emergency regulations, read November 9, 2026
- Board of Forestry, Zone 0 regulation summary, August 2026 (copy hosted by UC ANR), read November 9, 2026
- LA County Fire, 2026 annual defensible space clearance notice, read November 9, 2026
General information, not legal advice. Your fire department and city have the final word for your property.
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