Zone 0 and Real Estate in San Diego: What Homeowners and Buyers Need to Know for 2026

If you own a home or are shopping for one  in San Diego's fire prone foothills and backcountry communities, a new state regulation is about to change how you think about the first five feet around your house. It's called Zone 0, and it's the most significant update to California's defensible space law in years.

At Heritage Homes RE, we work with buyers and sellers across San Diego and North County, including areas where these new rules will apply  from Poway and Rancho Bernardo to Ramona, Valley Center, Alpine, Rancho Santa Fe, Julian, and other communities bordering State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ). Here's what the August 2026 draft regulation actually says, and what it means if you're buying, selling, or already living in one of these zones.

What Is Zone 0?

Zone 0 is the area within the first five feet around a home or structure  the space where wind-blown embers are most likely to land during a wildfire, and where a structure is most vulnerable to ignition. It's distinct from Zone 1 (5–30 feet from the home) and Zone 2 (30–100 feet from the home), which are governed by existing, less restrictive defensible space rules.

The new Zone 0 requirements come from California's Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, directed by:

• Assembly Bill 3074 (2020)

• Senate Bill 504 (2024)

• Assembly Bill 1455 (2025)

• Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-18-25, issued in response to the devastating January 2025 Los Angeles fires

The Board spent over 15 months on public workshops, site visits, and stakeholder outreach before releasing the August 2026 draft rule language.

Who Does Zone 0 Apply To?

The regulation applies to properties in:

• State Responsibility Areas (SRA) — where CAL FIRE has primary fire protection responsibility, and

• Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) within Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) — areas within a city or fire district's jurisdiction that carry a "very high" fire hazard rating

In San Diego County, this means Zone 0 will most directly affect homeowners and buyers in the region's foothill, rural, and wildland-urban interface communities — think Poway, Ramona, Alpine, Julian, Valley Center, Fallbrook, Descanso, Jamul, Lakeside, and parts of Rancho Santa Fe and Escondido's outer edges. If you're evaluating a property near open space, canyon land, or backcountry terrain anywhere in North County or East County, it's worth confirming its fire hazard designation before you write an offer.

New construction must comply with Zone 0 requirements immediately upon adoption of the regulation. Existing homes get a phased in compliance timeline (explained below).

What Zone 0 Actually Requires

No New Trees, But Existing Trees Can Stay

Existing trees are permitted to remain in Zone 0, provided they're maintained:

• Branches kept 10 feet from chimneys and stovepipes (effective immediately, per existing law)

• Branches trimmed 5 feet above roofs

• Dead wood removed immediately

• Ladder fuels removed from the bottom 6 feet of large trees, or the lower third of smaller trees

• No new trees may be planted in Zone 0 once the regulation takes effect

Combustible Materials Are Restricted

Across the full 5 feet of Zone 0, homeowners must remove:

• Firewood and stored wood

• Combustible mulch, bark, and wood chips

• Fallen leaves, needles, and other debris

• Combustible debris on roofs and in rain gutters (required immediately)

The "Safety Zone" — A Vegetation-Free Buffer

Closer to the structure, a stricter non-combustible "safety zone" applies:

• At least 1 foot from the wall, or out to the eave line whichever is greater

• 2 feet clearance from windows, doors, and vents

• 5 feet clearance around attached decks, stairs, and pergolas

Outside the safety zone but still within Zone 0, well-maintained plants are allowed including small herbaceous plants and flowers, low ground covers, mowed lawn (kept to 3 inches or less), and potted plants in non-combustible containers under 1.5 feet tall.

Fences, Gates, and Sheds

• A 5-foot non-combustible section is required where fences attach to the home

• No new combustible fences or gates within Zone 0 (repairs to existing ones are allowed)

• Sheds and outbuildings in Zone 0 must have non-combustible roofs and walls

Local Flexibility

Local fire agencies in LRAs may approve alternative compliance practices based on local geography, lot size, structure type, or fire risk as long as they're found to be substantially as effective as the state standard. Any such variation requires approval from the local governing body (city council or county board of supervisors).

The Compliance Timeline

Zone 0 rolls out in two phases for existing homes:

The Board has emphasized that enforcement will prioritize education and outreach rather than penalties inspectors are directed to help homeowners identify issues and build a plan over time, not issue immediate citations for a five year process still in progress.

Why This Matters If You're Buying or Selling

For sellers: If your property sits in an SRA or VHFHSZ zone, buyers and their agents will increasingly ask about Zone 0 compliance status, especially as the phase in deadlines approach. Getting ahead of Phase 1 requirements clearing firewood, trimming trees, cleaning gutters can be a meaningful selling point and prevent objections during escrow.

For buyers: Zone 0 status should factor into your due diligence the same way HOA documents or a home inspection would. Ask what fire hazard zone a property falls in, whether prior owners have already made progress on compliance, and what maintenance obligations you'll be taking on.

For everyone in a fire hazard zone: There's real financial support coming to help offset these costs, including funding from the California Climate Bond, CAL FIRE grants, and labor support from organizations like the California Conservation Corps.

How Heritage Homes RE Helps

Whether you're buying in Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Ramona, or elsewhere in North County, we help clients understand a property's fire hazard designation, what Zone 0 compliance will realistically involve, and how that factors into a fair offer or listing price. This is a new and evolving regulation the Board is still accepting public comment on the draft so having a local agent who's tracking it closely matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zone 0 in California fire regulations? Zone 0 is the area within 5 feet of a home or structure, where new state defensible space rules require homeowners to remove combustible materials and maintain a non-combustible buffer to reduce wildfire ignition risk.

Does Zone 0 apply to all San Diego homes? No. It applies specifically to homes in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) within Local Responsibility Areas generally foothill, rural, and wildland-adjacent communities, not most urban or coastal San Diego neighborhoods.

When do I have to comply with Zone 0? New construction must comply immediately upon adoption. Existing homes have a phased timeline: some tree and roof/gutter requirements take effect immediately, most Phase 1 items are due within 3 years, and Phase 2 items (the under-eave safety zone, fencing, sheds) are due within 5 years.

Can I keep my trees under Zone 0 rules? Yes. Existing trees can remain in Zone 0 as long as they're properly maintained dead branches removed, ladder fuels cleared, and branches kept clear of chimneys, eaves, and roofs. New trees, however, cannot be planted in Zone 0 after the rule takes effect.

Will Zone 0 affect my home's value? It's too early to say definitively, since the rule is still in draft form, but buyers are increasingly factoring in wildfire risk and compliance costs when evaluating homes in high fire hazard zones. Proactive compliance is likely to be viewed favorably.

How do I find out if my property is in Zone 0 territory? Your fire hazard severity zone designation is publicly available through CAL FIRE and local fire agency maps. Your real estate agent can also help you check this as part of a property evaluation.

This article summarizes the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection's draft Zone 0 regulation language as of August 2026. The rule is still in draft form and subject to change through the public comment process. Homeowners and buyers should verify current requirements with CAL FIRE, their local fire agency, or the Board's official Zone 0 webpage before making compliance or purchase decisions.