Zone Zero:
CA Draft Regulations
New Zone Zero Regulations: View specifics in draft plead above. There are specific regulations based on spacing, species, and material. For example:
"A low-combustibility zone extending out from the safety zone, or the edge of an eave drip line, to the remaining portion of the five feet of Zone 0 (completed during Phase 1).
-A non-combustible immediate “safety zone” located directly next to the home and under eaves. This zone width flexes with the width of the eave. If the structure has 12-inch eaves, the safety zone is 12 inches in width. If the structure has 36-inch eaves, the safety zone is 36 inches in width (completed during Phase 2) "
Zone Zero
Zone Zero refers to the area extending 0–5 feet immediately surrounding a structure and is considered one of the most critical zones for wildfire mitigation. Research shows that most homes lost during wildfires ignite due to wind driven embers rather than direct flame contact.
These embers can travel long distances ahead of a fire, bypass fuel breaks, and accumulate in vulnerable features such as vents, decks, gutters, door thresholds, and combustible materials located next to buildings. When ignited, these materials can provide a direct pathway for fire to spread to the structure.
Wildfire science and post fire investigations consistently demonstrate that reducing or eliminating combustible materials within this narrow perimeter significantly lowers ignition risk. Zone Zero is therefore designed to serve as the final barrier against ember driven ignition by emphasizing noncombustible or ignition resistant surfaces and regular maintenance. While broader defensible space and home hardening measures remain important, evidence suggests that mitigation closest to the structure often provides the greatest reduction in wildfire vulnerability relative to its small footprint.
Zone Zero Resources
We understand the intricate nature of wildfire and how a lot depends on the factors and characteristics at any given point in time. There are instances where green vegetation can act as a buffer and there are instances were it acts as a pathway of fire. However, research from the 2025 LA Fires revealed "when Zone 0 fuel coverage exceeded 25%, the likelihood of damage or destruction increased to 87-100%" (IBHS, 2025).
2025
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
The 2025 Conflagrations Full Report
"The Palisades and Eaton Fires raged through Los Angeles County neighborhoods, creating catastrophic conflagration. More than 16,000 structures were destroyed in the fires, which now rank as two of California’s three most destructive fires on record. In the days following the conflagration, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) deployed teams to study the damage and further advance the understanding of how fire spreads into and through communities" ( IBHS, 2025).
2025
UC Berkeley
After devastating LA fires, California is drafting nation's toughest rules for homes
"The idea, called Zone Zero, is to prevent plants and flammable items from igniting during a wildfire, spreading flames to the house and the surrounding neighborhood. In high winds, most homes burn down due to embers, the tiny bits of burning debris carried by the wind. Still, the pushback has been strong, even in the Los Angeles area neighborhoods where so many lost homes. In public meetings, homeowners have voiced concerns about losing greenery and shade, as well as the cost of clearing the vegetation" ( Sommer, 2026).
2025
Federal Emergency Management Agency
"The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations to homeowners for pre-wildfire measures to help reduce the risk of smoke damage and do-it-yourself (DIY) steps that homeowners can take to remediate light to moderate smoke damage. This document also includes recommendations for selecting and monitoring a professional cleaning services contractor for heavy smoke damage." ( FEMA, 2025)
2025
International Journal of Wildland Fire
The role of defensible space for residential structure protection during wildfires
"With the potential for worsening fire conditions, discussion is escalating over how to best reduce effects on urban communities. A widely supported strategy is the creation of defensible space immediately surrounding homes and other structures....We analysed the role of defensible space by mapping and measuring a suite of variables on modern pre-fire aerial photography for 1000 destroyed and 1000 surviving structures for all fires where homes burned from 2001 to 2010 in San Diego County, CA, USA." (Syphard, 2014).
2026
California communities can reduce wildfire damage by half. Here’s how.
"A new UC Berkeley-led study demonstrates how two mitigation strategies — home hardening and defensible space — can have a major impact on wildfire destructiveness." ( Manke, 2025)