California's Zone 0 Rules Are Coming for the First Five Feet. They Are Not Law Yet.

California homeowners have been reading headlines about strict new rules for the first five feet around their houses. The rules are real, and they are coming. They are also not law yet.

The proposal is known as Zone 0, or the ember-resistant zone: the ground within five feet of a structure, measured horizontally from exterior walls, decks and attachments. It would become the innermost layer of the state's defensible space framework, joining Zone 1 at five to 30 feet and Zone 2 at 30 to 100 feet.

Where it actually stands

Zone 0 was created by Assembly Bill 3074 in 2020. Its timeline has since been modified by Senate Bill 504 in 2024, Assembly Bill 1455 in 2025, and an executive order that set a Dec. 31, 2025 deadline for the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to adopt regulations.

That deadline passed without adoption. The board's most recent draft was released April 17, 2026 and remains in the rulemaking process, presented again in June and carried on the July agenda without a formal regulatory notice.

In short, there is no statewide Zone 0 requirement in force today. The current draft phases implementation in over roughly five years and emphasizes education and outreach in the early stages rather than immediate enforcement.

What the draft would change

The clearest language in the draft concerns fences. Combustible fences and gates would not be permitted to attach directly to an occupied structure, and any fence or gate attached to a structure, or coming within a foot of it, would need a five-foot non-combustible section where it meets the building.

The broader intent is to remove anything within that first five feet that can catch an ember and hold a flame against the house, including bark mulch, dead plants, stacked firewood and materials stored under decks.

Why it is worth knowing now

Some local governments have not waited. The City of San Diego adopted its own Zone 0 ordinance ahead of the state, and others may follow, so the rules that apply to a given property can be local before they are statewide.

Insurers are also weighing defensible space independently of what the state adopts, which means the work has value regardless of the rulemaking calendar. For homeowners near open space, the practical takeaway is that the first five feet are where the next set of expectations will land, and clearing them is useful whether or not the regulation is ever finalized.

Sources: USA Today; California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection rulemaking record.

Sources

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/state/california/2026/08/17/california-zone-0-fire-rules-landscaping/

https://www.firewisefences.com/zone-zero-guide/