Zone 0: California's Ember-Resistant 5-Foot Zone (2026)
Updated: 2026-08-02
Zone 0 is the ember-resistant zone covering the first 0–5 feet around a structure — the strip where wind-blown embers do most of their damage. California directed the Board of Forestry to write a Zone 0 regulation back in 2020, and Governor Newsom ordered it finished by the end of 2025. That deadline passed without a final rule. As of August 2026, Zone 0 is still in rulemaking, not yet an enforceable statewide requirement — but the Board is scheduled to vote on the final rule on August 19, 2026, it could take effect as early as September 2026, and insurers already reward the work.
Where Zone 0 came from
Most homes destroyed in wildfires don't burn because a wall of flame reaches them — they ignite from embers that blow in ahead of the fire and land on or against the house itself. CAL FIRE and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) both point to ember exposure, not direct flame contact, as the dominant cause of home loss in wildfire-urban-interface fires. The area with the highest concentration of ember-caused ignitions is the ground immediately touching the structure — vents, siding, decks, and anything combustible piled against the wall.
AB 3074 (2020) responded to that science by amending Public Resources Code 4291 (the existing 100-foot defensible space law) to add a new, stricter sub-zone: 0–5 feet from the structure, to be defined by regulations from the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. SB 504 (2024) amended the same law a second time, broadening where the 100-foot defensible space requirement applies and refining the Zone 0 mandate the Board is now writing rules for. A third statute, AB 1455 (2025), signed October 13, 2025 as an urgency measure, goes further: it requires the Board to adopt the Zone 0 regulations, and if the regular rulemaking process would miss the Executive Order deadline, to adopt them as emergency regulations — a fast-track path that skips the usual public-comment cycle. In practice this means Zone 0 could become enforceable on much shorter notice than a normal rulemaking timeline would suggest.
Current regulatory status (as of August 2026)
This is the part that keeps changing, so here's exactly where things stand. In February 2025, Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-18-25 directed the Board of Forestry to adopt Zone 0 regulations by December 31, 2025. That deadline passed with no final rule adopted — the Board's advisory committee cited affordability and feasibility concerns and paused work into early 2026.
The Board's Zone 0 subcommittee released an updated draft of the proposed rule text in April 2026, and on June 16, 2026 the Board's Zone Zero Regulatory Advisory Committee voted unanimously to forward the draft regulation to the full Board. A revised July 2026 draft was discussed at a July 23, 2026 workshop, and in August 2026 the Board published the final package for the vote — an August 2026 rule plead and summary, a decision memo, and the meeting agenda. The regulatory package is scheduled to come before the full Board for a vote at its August 19, 2026 meeting. If approved, Board staff will submit the package to the Office of Administrative Law under AB 1455's emergency rulemaking provisions — staff expect the regulations could become effective as early as September 2026. As of early August 2026, no enforceable statewide Zone 0 standard exists yet; track the current status at bof.fire.ca.gov. The draft's own implementation approach, once adopted, is phased:
- Already required today (not part of the phase-in): removing dead or dying vegetation and keeping branches cleared above roofs and away from chimneys are existing defensible space law — the Board's July 2026 clarification memo confirms these must be complied with immediately, not on the phased timeline.
- New construction: would need to comply immediately upon adoption of the regulation.
- Phase 1 (within the first ~3 years for existing homes): remove combustible items and debris, clean gutters.
- Phase 2 (within ~5 years, exact timing set locally): under-eave hardening, replacing combustible gates and fencing where required (repairs to existing fences remain permitted), adjusting sheds and other structures within the zone.
The Board has said implementation will lean on education and outreach rather than penalties, at least initially. Because the rule isn't final, exact dates and details can still change — check the Board's page directly before treating any specific date as locked in.
What the current draft removes from the first 5 feet — and what can stay
The most recent draft splits Zone 0 into an inner "non-combustible" strip right against the house and a "low-combustibility" band out to the full 5 feet. In broad terms, the draft calls for:
- Out: combustible mulch, bark, and pine needles touching the structure; dead or dying plants and grass; new combustible fencing, gates, arbors, or trellises (repairs to existing fences are permitted — where a fence attaches to the house, the draft calls for a 5-foot noncombustible segment); firewood stacks, lumber, and trash/recycling bins; anything flammable stored under a deck.
- Limited: outside the innermost strip, low ground cover and potted plants may be allowed if kept short (the draft describes limits like ground cover under a few inches) and containers are noncombustible.
- In (recommended replacements): gravel, pavers, concrete, or decomposed granite as ground cover; metal or other noncombustible fencing and gates near the structure; noncombustible planters.
- Also addressed: tree branches — existing defensible space rules already require clearance above roofs and away from chimneys (and apply immediately, per the Board's July 2026 clarification), and the draft extends similar logic to anything overhanging Zone 0.
- New plantings: the final draft bars planting new trees in Zone 0 once the rule takes effect. Existing trees are handled through clearance and maintenance requirements — the rule does not demand their removal.
These specifics come from the Board's draft rule text and are still subject to change before final adoption — treat this as "what the current draft describes," not a citable legal requirement yet.
How Zone 0 fits with the 30-ft and 100-ft zones
Zone 0 doesn't replace the defensible space law you may already know — it nests inside it. Under PRC 4291, homes in State Responsibility Area or Local Responsibility Area land within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone must maintain 100 feet of defensible space, split into Zone 1 (0–30 feet: spacing between plants, canopy clearance) and Zone 2 (30–100 feet: fuel and vegetation reduction). Zone 0 carves out the innermost 5 feet of Zone 1 for a much stricter standard, because spacing alone doesn't stop an ember that lands directly against the wall.
Practical steps to get ahead of it
Even before Zone 0 is final law, the work holds up on its own — it's one of the highest-leverage retrofits for reducing ignition risk, and it overlaps heavily with routine defensible space maintenance. Typical steps:
- Swap combustible mulch and bark for gravel, pavers, or decomposed granite in the 5 feet closest to the house.
- Replace or set back wood fencing and gates that attach directly to the structure.
- Move firewood, lumber, propane tanks, and trash/recycling bins outside the 5-foot strip.
- Clear anything combustible from under and on top of decks within that zone.
- Remove dead or dying plants and keep any remaining ground cover low and irrigated.
Contractors listed under defensible space clearing handle the vegetation and fuel-reduction side; the fencing, decking, and hardscape swaps fall under home hardening. Many contractors in this directory do both.
The insurance angle
Zone 0 doesn't need to be mandatory for it to pay off. California's Safer from Wildfires regulation requires insurers to factor wildfire mitigation into their pricing, and the 5-foot ember-resistant zone is one of the actions insurers are directed to recognize. The California FAIR Plan separately offers wildfire mitigation discounts for qualifying home hardening work. See our insurance discounts guide for how to document completed work so it actually shows up as savings.
FAQ
Is Zone 0 the law right now in California?
Not yet as an enforceable regulation. AB 3074 (2020) directed the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to write Zone 0 rules, and Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-18-25 ordered the Board to adopt them by December 31, 2025. That deadline passed without adoption. As of August 2026 the regulation is still in rulemaking — but the full Board is scheduled to vote on the final rule package on August 19, 2026, and because AB 1455 (2025) lets the Board adopt the rules as emergency regulations, Board staff expect the regulation could take effect as early as September 2026 if approved.
Which homes will Zone 0 apply to?
Under the final draft headed to the Board's August 19, 2026 vote, the rule covers all homes on State Responsibility Area (SRA) land, plus homes in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones on Local Responsibility Area (LRA) land as designated by local agencies. New construction is expected to comply immediately once the rule is adopted; existing homes get a phased timeline (see below).
What's the difference between Zone 0 and the 30/100-foot defensible space zones?
PRC 4291 already requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in SRA/VHFHSZ areas, broken into Zone 1 (0–30 ft, spacing and clearance) and Zone 2 (30–100 ft, fuel reduction). Zone 0 is a new, stricter sub-zone nested inside Zone 1 — the first 0–5 feet — where the standard is near-total removal of combustible material, not just spacing, because that strip is where wind-blown embers land and ignite structures.
Do I need to do Zone 0 work now, before it becomes law?
It isn't mandatory yet, but insurers already reward it. California's Safer from Wildfires framework requires insurance companies to factor mitigation into pricing, and the 5-foot ember-resistant zone is one of the recognized actions — and the California FAIR Plan offers its own wildfire mitigation discounts for home hardening. Doing the work early also means you won't scramble once a compliance deadline is set.
What has to leave the first 5 feet around my house?
Under the current draft: combustible mulch, bark, and dead or living vegetation right against the structure; new combustible fencing or gates (repairs to existing fences are permitted, but where a fence attaches to the house the draft calls for a 5-foot noncombustible segment); stored combustibles like firewood, lumber, and trash/recycling bins; and anything flammable under or on top of a deck. Hardscape (gravel, pavers, concrete, decomposed granite) and noncombustible containers are the replacements the draft describes.
Ready to make the first 5 feet ember-resistant? Find contractors in your county: