Provide Public Comment in Support of Zone 0 Requirements
California passed a law in 2020 requiring homeowners in high fire-hazard zones to create what’s called “Zone 0,” a five-foot buffer around buildings designed to help them resist embers, which are the main cause of homes catching fire during wildfires. The rules were supposed to take effect in 2023, but the rollout has been delayed and the specific requirements are still being finalized.
To speed up that process, the Governor directed the Board of Forestry in early 2025 to finish drafting and adopting Zone 0 regulations by the end of the year.
Here’s what’s expected:
Where it applies: Zone 0 is the first five feet from a house or building, including additions such as decks and stairs.
What’s allowed: Combustible materials including wood fences, mulch, or flammable plants will likely be restricted. Some exceptions may be made for non-flammable features, or mature trees that are properly maintained.
Who must comply: New buildings in designated high-risk zones will have to follow the rules immediately, while existing homes will have three years to come into compliance once the regulations are official.
Opposition Campaign:
Opposition to Zone 0 has been fueled by widespread misinformation and disinformation campaigns, especially on social media. Critics claim that requiring a five-foot ember-resistant zone around homes will cause flooding, destroy habitat, eliminate local species, and result in environmental harm, despite the lack of scientific evidence for these assertions. Nevertheless, opponents have shifted their efforts to influencing CAL FIRE’s Zone 0 Committee, which has been working for years to finalize regulations under AB 3074. Recently, the Committee has received hundreds of public comments—mostly negative and repeating false claims—which appear to be swaying members toward weakening the proposed rules.
Take Action in Support of Zone 0:
Effective Zone 0 regulations would use the best available current science to reduce the loss of homes and communities to wildfire. Zone 0 requirements are strong medicine, but far more palatable than the continued increase in communities burning and needing to be rebuilt. Taking the hard steps needed to reduce risk is also a necessary part of restoring affordable insurance options
You can help protect our communities by submitting a letter in support of strong Zone 0 requirements. Please send your letter to:
Zone 0 Committee
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
P.O. Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460
or by email to PublicComments@bof.ca.gov.
Below is a sample letter written by the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council Board of Directors, urging that Zone 0 regulations remain strong and effective. You are welcome to use this letter as-is, adapt it, or write your own. And please, share this opportunity with your friends and neighbors. Community voices matter!
August 27, 2025
CAL FIRE Zone 0 Advisory Committee
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
P.O. Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460
Sent to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
Re: Support for Strong Zone 0 Defensible Space Requirements
Dear Zone 0 Advisory Committee Members,
The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council would like to express its strong support for the adoption of comprehensive, science-based Zone 0 defensible-space requirements. These requirements can lead the way to the substantial reduction in wildfire risk we need to both reduce the community impacts of wildfire and, over time, help alleviate the current insurance crisis.
While there are still gaps in the existing science, there is substantial consensus among wildfire scientists to support Zone 0 enforcement. It is our understanding that every single firefighter who offered testimony to the Committee also supported strict Zone 0 enforcement.
We are concerned to see the Committee possibly weakening proposed regulations for Zone 0 enforcement. With California facing longer and more intense fire seasons and more record-setting fires, strict Zone 0 guidelines—including the removal of all combustible vegetation (except for mature, native trees) and materials immediately adjacent to structures—are both reasonable and essential for community resilience.
We all know that wildfire risk has exploded, and it has become increasingly difficult to get insurance. The survival of many homes and communities will depend upon the Committee’s decisions. The final Committee regulations need to be strong enough to help our neighborhoods survive wildfires.
The implementation and enforcement of Zone 0 and Zone 1 together, starting in 2026, may represent a true inflection point in the history of disaster preparedness in California. Future generations may discover that we did not do enough at this juncture; they will certainly not judge that we did too much. We urge the committee to stand firm against any efforts to weaken its requirements and be counted among those who made a real difference to safety and resilience in California.
Thank you for your tenacious leadership in protecting Californians from the growing risks of wildfire.
Sincerely,
Nancy Armstrong-Frost, President
For the MCFSC Board of Directors
