2020 · Assembly Bill
AB 3074
Created the zone
Created Zone Zero: an ember-resistant zone covering the first 5 feet around structures in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
The Law · Plain Language
The Zone Zero Regulations in San Diego, Explained
AB 3074 (2020) created the ember-resistant zone covering the first 5 feet around structures in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. SB 504 (2024) gave the Board of Forestry authority to enforce it, and AB 1455 (2025) set the statewide timeline. San Diego Fire-Rescue then built its own local implementation on top: Zone 0 has been mandatory for new construction since February 28, 2026, with a February 2027 target for existing homes, ahead of the state's general schedule.
The Statutes
The three state laws behind Zone Zero
One created the zone, one gave it teeth, one set the clock. Together they set the statewide floor. What happens next in San Diego is a local decision.
2024 · Senate Bill
SB 504
Gave it teeth
Gave the Board of Forestry authority to enforce Zone Zero and write the regulations that make it real.
2025 · Assembly Bill
AB 1455
Set the clock
Set the statewide compliance timeline: adoption expected late 2026, with phased deadlines counted from that date.
San Diego's Local Layer
San Diego Fire-Rescue didn't wait for the state
The three laws above set what every California jurisdiction has to eventually require. San Diego Fire-Rescue's Community Risk Reduction Division set its own dates on top of that floor, ahead of the state's own late-2026 adoption schedule, with a voluntary-compliance-first enforcement posture: assessments and compliance plans first, citations reserved as a final notice.
Feb 28, 2026
New construction, in effect
Feb 2027
SDFRD target, existing homes
(619) 533-4388
Community Risk Reduction Division
Wildfire Rules, Explained
What Zone 0 regulates, item by item
Every category below has a dedicated page with San Diego-specific guidance. Start where your property is most exposed.
Fences & Gates
Fences & gates: the immediate rule
New combustible fences within 5 feet have been prohibited in San Diego since February 28, 2026. Existing fences get a Phase 2 window. Materials and the gate detail are on the fences page.
Read the fence rules →
Landscaping
Landscaping: the Phase 1 work
Combustible mulch, dead vegetation, and plants against the structure must leave the first five feet, targeted for February 2027 for existing San Diego homes.
Gutters & RoofRoof, gutters & embers
Clean gutters and ember-resistant details protect the zone you clear. Covered in the home hardening overview.
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Decks & patios
Attached combustible decks inside the zone are Phase 2 items. See what the draft regulations expect.
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Vents & openings
Ember-resistant vents block the most common ignition path into the structure itself.
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Sheds & outbuildings
Structures within 5 feet of the home can carry the same requirements. Check before you build.
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Timeline & deadlines
New construction since Feb 2026 · San Diego's own Feb 2027 target for existing homes. Full table on the deadlines page.
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Who must comply
Over 220,000 San Diego-area homeowners, roughly two-thirds of the city in a Very High zone. San Diego Fire-Rescue enforcement details on the deadlines page.
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Connect with licensed help
Free assessments from CSLB-licensed local contractors: the fastest way to a compliance plan.
Skip the statute reading
A free assessment translates the state law and San Diego's own local dates into a to-do list for your specific property.