California Wildfire Regulations Spark Debate Over Home Defensibility
PASADENA, Calif. - A proposal too create “ember-resistant defensible zones” around homes in high-risk areas is generating both support and critically important opposition across California, as the state Board of forestry and Fire Protection races to finalize the regulations by year’s end. Ordered by Governor Newsom to expedite the process, the board is weighing rules focused on the area promptly surrounding structures - dubbed “Zone Zero” – to mitigate wildfire damage.
Zone zero specifically targets the space within five feet of a home’s perimeter. The proposed regulations would require this area within “very high fire hazard severity zones” to be maintained to resist ember intrusion, a primary cause of wildfire-related home destruction.
According to the forestry board’s executive Director, Tony anderson, the focus is on maintaining healthy vegetation, not necessarily removal. “No dead or dying branches,make sure debris is off of your roof,” Anderson explained,adding that wood mulch close to the home might need to be raked back.
However, opponents argue the rules are overly restrictive and could negatively impact urban tree canopies, possibly increasing temperatures and creating a greater fire risk. Thelma Waxman, president of the Brentwood Homeowners Association, stated, “Zone Zero would devastate our neighborhood, stripping shade, destabilizing hillsides, raising energy bills and straining the grid, and it would do all of this without making us safer.”
The forestry board acknowledges the regulations will affect approximately two million structures, representing 17% of all buildings in California. Compliance is projected to be costly, with Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park’s representative, Sarah Flaherty, estimating removal of an estimated 2,000 acres of vegetation across los Angeles alone, at a cost of roughly $13,000 per property owner.
The board is currently accepting public feedback on the proposed regulations, with a final decision expected in December. the rules are slated to go into affect in January, with a phased implementation over the following three years.