FOOTHILL FIRE HARDENING - A DIVISION OF FOOTHILL PAINTING
Zone 0 in California: The New 5-Foot Ember-Resistant Zone Rules
California approved statewide Zone 0 regulations in August 2026. Here is what the first five feet around your home must become, when the rules phase in, and how we help you get there.
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What Zone 0 Means for Defensible Space
Zone 0 is the first five feet around your home - the ember-resistant zone. The idea is simple: when embers land next to your house, they should find nothing that burns.
The rule comes from AB 3074, passed in 2020, which directed the state to add this zone to California's defensible space law. On August 19, 2026, the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection voted 8-0 to approve the regulations - the first statewide rules of their kind in the nation. The regulations were submitted to the Office of Administrative Law on August 28, 2026, and the five-day public comment period closed September 2, 2026. Filing and an effective date are expected soon.
They apply to homes in State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which across the Los Angeles foothills means much of the hillside and canyon housing we have painted for nearly a century - Altadena, La Canada Flintridge, the Verdugos, and beyond. Zone 0 is one piece of wildfire home hardening, and this page covers what the approved rules say and who does what.
Alongside Zone 0, the state's structural fire protection requirements moved from Chapter 7A of the Building Code into the new California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (CWUIC), Title 24 Part 7, effective January 1, 2026 - a sign of how seriously California is treating wildfire construction standards.
Why the First Five Feet Get Their Own Law
Planting, mulch, and fencing where they meet the walls - the five-foot band is where most ember ignitions begin.
Research after fire following fire found the same pattern: homes ignite from the material touching them. A juniper against the wall, bark mulch at the foundation, a wood gate connecting the fence to the siding, firewood under the deck - each is a fuse that lets a small ember become a house fire.
California's Office of the State Fire Marshal reports that 60 to 90 percent of wildfire home ignitions start with embers. The five-foot zone is where those ignitions most often begin, which is why regulators singled it out.
The 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires gave Los Angeles the hardest possible look at this. Many of the neighborhoods now rebuilding will do so under the new standard, and existing homes nearby have a phased runway to meet it.
What Homeowners Are Asking Us
Or call (818) 748-3227 and ask for a Zone 0 walkthrough - no pressure, no obligation.
The Timeline, As Approved
The approved regulations take effect once state administrative filing is complete, with compliance arriving in stages. Here is the schedule as it stands today:
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
New construction in SRA / VHFHSZ
Full Zone 0 compliance
Immediately, once regulations take legal effect
Existing homes - Phase 1
Remove combustible mulch, dead vegetation, firewood, lumber, and stored combustibles from the first 5 feet
Within approximately 3 years of the effective date
Existing homes - Phase 2
Address remaining items, including combustible fences and gates attached to the home and material under decks and eaves
Within approximately 5 years of the effective date
All LA City parcels in the VHFHSZ
Annual LAFD brush clearance (200 feet, grass to 3 inches)
By May 1 every year, inspections May-June
Home sellers in High/Very High FHSZ
AB 38 defensible space documentation + hardening disclosure
At sale, since July 2021 (expanded July 2025)
Local jurisdictions can fine-tune the statewide rules for factors like lot size and topography, so your city's final version may differ in details. When we assess your home, we check what applies to your parcel specifically.
How Foothill Fire Hardening Helps With Zone 0
Zone 0 Walkthrough & Written Assessment
We walk your first five feet and the attached structures, photograph what the rules will touch, and give you a written punch list sorted into now, Phase 1, and Phase 2. You leave knowing exactly where you stand.
The Structure Side of Zone 0
Much of Zone 0 compliance is about the house itself: protected vents at ground level, coated or protected wood elements, hardened surfaces where the zone meets the structure. That work - fire retardant coatings, finishes, ember-resistant upgrades - is what our crews do.
Honest Referrals for the Rest
Vegetation removal, hardscape, and fence replacement belong to other trades, and we say so. We help you scope that work and coordinate with the right people rather than pretending one company does it all.
Documentation
Before-and-after records formatted for defensible space inspections, insurance mitigation programs, and future AB 38 disclosure.
From Confused to Compliant
WALKTHROUGH
A free on-site review of your Zone 0 and the structure features the rules touch.
PUNCH LIST
A written, phased plan matching the regulation's own timeline, split into our scope, other trades, and DIY items.
HARDENING WORK
Our crews complete the coating and structure-side work; we coordinate referrals for the rest.
RECORDS
Photo documentation you can hand an inspector, an insurer, or a buyer - organized for any defensible space inspection, insurance review, or AB 38 disclosure.
We Were in These Foothills Before the Rules Existed
Foothill Painting has served Los Angeles-area homes from Burbank since 1929. The same streets in Altadena and La Canada Flintridge where our crews have painted for generations sit squarely in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones these rules cover.
Fire hardening is a new division for us, built because our customers started asking these exact questions after 2025. We would rather be the company that answers them honestly than the loudest one in a gold rush.
The W-2 crew behind every Foothill job - the same people who will walk your five-foot zone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zone 0 and Defensible Space
Has zone zero passed in California?
Yes. The Board of Forestry approved the Zone 0 regulations on August 19, 2026 by an 8-0 vote. They now go to the Office of Administrative Law for final filing, after which they take effect with a phased compliance timeline for existing homes.
What is the 5 foot rule in California?
Zone 0 is the ember-resistant zone extending 0 to 5 feet from the house, measured from the exterior wall. Within this zone, the ground surface must be noncombustible - no wood mulch, no stored combustibles, no vegetation other than certain fire-resistant plants - and attached structures like fences and pergolas face material restrictions on a phased timeline. It applies to homes in State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
When do I have to comply with Zone 0?
New construction must comply as soon as the regulations take legal effect. Existing homes phase in: removing combustible materials within roughly 3 years, and remaining items such as attached combustible fences and gates within roughly 5 years. Local jurisdictions may adjust details.
What is the new defensible space law in California?
AB 3074 created Zone 0 as a new addition to California’s existing defensible space requirements. It adds a 0-to-5-foot ember-resistant zone around homes in fire hazard areas, on top of the existing Zone 1 at 0-30 feet and Zone 2 at 30-100 feet. The Board of Forestry approved the implementing regulations in August 2026.
What are the Zone 0 requirements for landscaping in California?
Within 5 feet of the house, ground cover must be noncombustible - gravel, decomposed granite, concrete, or pavers. Wood mulch and bark are not allowed. Low-growing fire-resistant plants may be permitted depending on the final regulations, but nothing that places combustible material against the structure. Noncombustible fencing near the structure and hardened building surfaces remain open to you.
Is Zone 0 the same as LAFD brush clearance?
They are separate requirements that overlap. LAFD brush clearance is the City of LA’s annual vegetation requirement out to 200 feet, due by May 1 each year. Zone 0 is the new statewide standard for the first 5 feet. A compliant home satisfies both.
Does defensible space affect insurance?
Yes. Documented defensible space work and home hardening can improve your position with insurers. The Safer from Wildfires regulation ties specific hardening measures to insurance discounts, and some carriers are starting to factor defensible space compliance into underwriting decisions. See how it fits together on our home insurance in a fire zone page.
Does a painting company really handle Zone 0 work?
We handle the structure side - assessments, fire retardant coatings, protected surfaces, and ember-resistant upgrades - and we openly refer vegetation and fencing work to the right trades. Zone 0 compliance is a team sport, and we tell you which player does what.
Find Out Where Your Property Stands on Zone 0
A Foothill Fire Hardening walkthrough maps your home's 5-foot zone, identifies what needs to change, and gives you a clear plan with costs.
Five feet of your property just got its own state regulation. Find out what yours needs - free. Zone 0 is one piece of wildfire home hardening - see the whole picture on our fire hardening hub.
