The Zone 0 Checklist: What to Actually Remove From the First 5 Feet of Your Home
Every few weeks I get some version of the same question from a customer or a neighbor here in West Hills: "Do I actually have to rip out my landscaping for this Zone 0 thing?" The short answer is: not all of it, and not yet, statewide anyway — but knowing exactly what the first 5 feet around your house is supposed to look like is worth doing now, whether or not there's a hard deadline attached yet.
I've written before about how the Zone 0 rule connects to insurance discounts and how it fits into the bigger picture of what actually protects a home. This time I want to get specific: what do you literally walk outside and remove, prune, or replace this weekend? After going through CERT training post-Woolsey and spending years now building equipment for the "if prevention doesn't fully work" scenario, I still think the 5-foot ring around your house is the single highest-leverage piece of wildfire prep most homeowners haven't finished.
Where Things Stand Right Now
Quick status check, because this keeps shifting: the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection unanimously approved final Zone 0 regulations on August 19, 2026. As of this writing, that rule is approved but not yet statewide law — it still needs to clear Office of Administrative Law review before a statewide effective date is set, and the timeline for that has moved around. There is currently no single statewide compliance deadline in force.
That doesn't mean Zone 0 is irrelevant to you today. A few things are true regardless of where the state process lands:
- Some California jurisdictions already have their own Zone 0-style ordinances in effect right now — unincorporated San Diego County has required a non-combustible first 5 feet since 2023, and the City of San Diego has its own phased local deadline. If you're in one of those areas, local rules already apply to you.
- Existing state defensible space law (the Zones 1 and 2 clearance requirements under Public Resources Code §4291) is enforceable today, independent of Zone 0.
- Insurers are already crediting a lot of this same work under the state's "Safer from Wildfires" mitigation discount program, deadline or not.
My advice: check with your local fire department or building department for what's actually binding in your city or county before you assume either "I have years" or "nothing applies to me yet." Then do the Zone 0 work anyway, because it's the same work that cuts your home's ignition risk the most, on whatever timeline the state eventually locks in.
The Zone 0 Checklist: What Goes, What Stays
Zone 0 covers the 5 feet immediately surrounding your house and any attached structures — the "ember-resistant zone." Here's what the finalized rule actually specifies, item by item:
Remove or replace
- Bark mulch, wood chips, and dry leaf litter right against the foundation — these are exactly what a wind-blown ember needs to ignite. Replace with rock, gravel, pavers, or bare soil.
- Firewood stacks stored against the house or under a deck. Move woodpiles well outside the 5-foot zone, ideally 30 feet away.
- Woody shrubs and bushes planted directly against the structure — the rule specifically prohibits woody vegetation in this zone.
- Anything combustible stored under a deck or porch — cushions, doormats, cardboard, stored furniture.
- Combustible fencing or gates that attach directly to the house — the rule requires a 5-foot non-combustible section where a wood fence meets the structure, so the fence itself can't act as a fuse leading flame straight to your siding.
Prune and maintain
- Trees with canopy overhanging the roof or the 5-foot zone can generally stay, but dead branches and "ladder fuels" — low branches that let fire climb from ground vegetation into the canopy — need to come off.
- Roofs and gutters need to be kept clear of leaves, needles, and debris. This is one of the "do it immediately, don't wait for a deadline" items, since a clogged gutter is a ready-made ember catcher.
- Chimneys and stovepipes need roughly 10 feet of clearance from overhanging branches.
What you're allowed to keep
- Well-maintained lawn and low ground cover under about 3 inches, and small non-woody plants up to about 18 inches, are permitted in Zone 0 — you don't have to go to bare dirt.
- Healthy, well-pruned trees with canopy clear of the roof and dead material removed.
- Hardscape — patios, walkways, gravel beds, and similar non-combustible surfaces — is exactly what the rule wants to see more of in this zone.
A Reality Check on Timing
Once a statewide effective date is set, existing homes aren't expected to have to do all of this overnight. The rule as approved phases things in: immediate items like roof and gutter clearing come first, the vegetation and debris removal gets roughly 3 years, and the harder structural items — fencing sections, shed and deck modifications — get closer to 5 years. New construction is expected to have to comply right away once the rule takes effect.
None of that is a reason to wait. The phase-in exists for cost and logistics reasons, not because the risk is smaller in year one. A weekend of clearing debris and hauling away a woodpile costs you an afternoon, not a contractor.
What Zone 0 Doesn't Do
I'll say this every time it's relevant, because it's the single most common gap I see: Zone 0 and defensible space work are entirely about prevention. They lower the odds your home ignites in the first place, and they're worth doing whether or not you ever face an active fire. What they don't give you is anything to work with if embers are already landing on your roof, or a spot fire starts in your yard while there's still time to act safely and a fire is still approaching. That's a different job — a hydrant valve, wrench, hose, and nozzle, the same class of equipment fire crews carry, sized for a homeowner's garage. Do the Zone 0 work first. It's the foundation. Then have the equipment ready for the part it can't cover.
What You Need to Know
- No statewide Zone 0 deadline is locked in yet — the rule is approved by the state board but still needs Office of Administrative Law sign-off. Check your local jurisdiction, since some cities and counties already enforce their own version.
- Do it anyway. This is the highest-leverage 5 feet of your property for ignition risk, regardless of when a deadline lands.
- Mulch, firewood, and woody shrubs against the house are the priority removals. Lawn, low ground cover, and well-pruned trees can stay.
- Clear roofs and gutters now — it's fast, free, and one of the highest-impact items on the list.
- This is prevention, not active defense. Pair it with real equipment for the scenario where a fire still reaches your property line.
- Confirm before you rely on any of this. Regulations are still finalizing — check with your local fire department for what's actually binding where you live.
Sherwin Ross is the founder of Ace Fire Defense, based in West Hills, CA. After the 2018 Woolsey Fire, he became CERT-trained and started building wildfire defense equipment for homeowners.