Do you live in a California Fire Hazard Severity Zone and are confused by the new regulations for Zone Zero California and how it applies to your landscape? I recently completed a firescaping certification through ReScape to ensure I can keep up with the Zone Zero regulations and better support your design needs if you’re in a wildfire prone area.
So what is Zone Zero and what does it mean for you?
Zone Zero is a new category of defensible space immediately surrounding the first five feet of any structure in a California Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Zone Zero is anticipated to be passed into law through AB 3074 in 2020 and strengthened by SB 504 (2024) and AB 1455 (2025). The final draft was approved in August of this year and it is now waiting to be approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) and then it will be filed with the Secretary of State before taking formal effect. As of right now, there is no effective date to start implementing the changes to your landscape just yet. But, let’s talk about what will need to change when it does become law.
Once there’s an effective date, the Zone Zero regulations will be enforced in two phases.
Phase 1: 3 years after the effective date
- Remove bark mulch, wood chips, dead vegetation, and combustible ground cover
- Clear all combustible debris from gutters, eaves, and roof surfaces
- Maintain a 1-foot completely clear foundation zone
Phase 2: deadline determined by local jurisdiction
- Replace combustible fencing and gates with non-combustible alternatives
- Address combustible decking, patios, and under-deck enclosures
- Retrofit sheds and outbuildings with ignition-resistant materials
Why should you start planning now?
With so many changes that need to happen, this law will impact a lot of people financially. As of right now, there are limited resources that can help fund these changes for most residents in California Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Although I anticipate more programs and finance options will follow once Zone Zero is law, it’s not a guarantee.
What can Zone Zero look like?
To maintain the first five feet of defensible space around your home, consider putting in a five foot wide hardscape around your home. There are a variety of options like concrete, pavers, decorative gravel, decomposed granite, flagstones etc. You can even combine them to add more dimension, interest, and texture. This defensible space provides a small fire break between your home and oncoming fire but it also provides a space for fire fighters to access the perimeter of your home to protect from or put out a structure fire.
If you’re wondering where your plants will go, don’t worry! There’s still opportunities to have an enjoyable landscape even with these new regulations. Although most plant material must be reduced near the home to remain in compliance, there are also limited circumstances where you can keep plants directly next to the home.
First things first, plants cannot be:
- Under eaves
- Within at least 1 foot of an exterior wall where there is no eave
- Within 2 feet of windows, doors, and vents
- Within 5 feet of attached decks, stairs, and pergolas
For plants that could potentially be closer to the home, that will likely depend on your local jurisdiction. But that may look like:
- Lawns and low ground covers under 3 inches tall.
- Non-woody plants between 3 and 18 inches tall, when planted in areas no larger than 1 square foot and properly spaced.
- Potted plants up to 18 inches tall in unaffixed, noncombustible containers no larger than 5 gallons and properly spaced.
- Plant spacing is based on the height of the tallest plant, with required separation equal to at least 1.5 times the plant’s height.
So although the first five feet near the home can only have limited plant material, there can be more plants after the first five feet. A big misconception about Zone Zero regulations is that your landscape will look empty because “no plants are allowed” or that you’ll have to just settle for a bunch of rocks everywhere. Although that might be the easier route to meet the regulation standards, neither case is true!
But I get it, it’s a lot to take in all at once. The standards mentioned in this blog are just the tip of the iceberg. That’s where working with a designer can come in handy. Whether it’s me or someone else, they can help do some of the decision making for you. A firescaping designer can help make your landscape meet fire wise standards while still creating an oasis that you and your loved ones enjoy.
And just a cautionary note, I do not recommend relying on AI to do the planning for you. I’m part of multiple landscaping related Facebook groups and I have yet to see an AI generated firescape meet the regulations fully. Most have been dangerously incorrect and it isn’t worth the risk.
Need help planning your fire wise landscape?