Is Zone 0 law in California yet? What Sonora homeowners should do (October 2026)

Is Zone 0 required in California right now?

No. Zone 0 is not required anywhere in California as of October 17, 2026. The Board of Forestry adopted emergency Zone 0 rules on August 19, 2026 and filed them with the Office of Administrative Law, the state office that has to approve them. Its record lists the file as "Withdrawn, September 8, 2026." Nothing has replaced it yet. We checked on October 17, 2026 and will update this guide when the Board refiles.

The rest of the defensible space law still applies. California asks for 100 feet of defensible space around a home, or to the property line if that is closer. CAL FIRE's Zone 1 already covers the first 30 feet, so dead plants, dry grass, leaves and needles right against the house already have to go. A good part of Zone 0 is the law today under another name.

Our defensible space clearing covers all 100 feet zone by zone, and the first five feet are part of the same visit if you want them done.

What is Zone 0?

Zone 0 is the first five feet around a house, measured from the outside walls and from attached decks, stairs and pergolas, or to the property line if that is closer. State law calls it the ember-resistant zone. The idea is simple: wind-blown embers that land next to the house should find nothing there to light.

How did Zone 0 get here?

Zone 0 has been in state law since 2020, but the details were left to the Board of Forestry, and its first rules were pulled before they took effect.

A report on the withdrawal stressed that it "does not mean Zone 0 has been abandoned or rejected." Expect the Board to try again.

What did the withdrawn Zone 0 rules ask for?

The withdrawn rules would have kept the first five feet free of anything that burns easily, phased in over several years for existing homes. They may change when the Board refiles, but this is what the August 2026 package said:

• No combustible mulch, wood chips, leaves, needles or bark in the zone
• No firewood stored there
• Nothing combustible under decks, balconies, pergolas or stairs
• Roofs and gutters kept clear, dead branches removed, and branches kept back from the chimney
• No new combustible fencing, and attached fences generally needing a 5-foot noncombustible section
• Small sheds under 120 square feet allowed only if built entirely of noncombustible materials

Who it covered matters here. In the state responsibility area, where most homes outside Sonora's city limits sit, the rules would have covered every building. In cities they would have covered occupied buildings in a Very High fire hazard zone, and downtown Sonora is mapped Very High. For existing homes, the items already in the law would have applied first. Most of the rest would have phased in over three to five years, roughly 2029 and 2031, and existing trees could stay if kept free of dead wood.

What does CAL FIRE recommend for the first five feet now?

CAL FIRE's own Zone 0 guidance says, "While not legally required yet, Zone 0 is key for wildfire defense." Its voluntary checklist is short:

• Gravel, pavers or concrete next to the house instead of bark or wood mulch
• Dead plants and debris cleared off the roof, out of the gutters and off the deck, porch and stairs
• Branches kept 10 feet from the chimney
• Fewer things that burn on the deck, and firewood moved out past 30 feet
• Combustible fencing and gates attached to the house replaced
• Trash cans, boats, RVs and vehicles moved out of the zone

Does a cleared Zone 0 lower my insurance?

It can help. California's Safer from Wildfires rules list a "5 foot ember resistant zone, including fencing" and "defensible space compliance" among the actions insurers must reward, and the Department of Insurance says "every action under Safer from Wildfires will qualify you for an insurance discount." How much varies by insurer, and they may ask for proof or an inspection.

It matters here. In 2023, insurers declined to renew about 18 percent of the Tuolumne County homeowners policies up for renewal, roughly twice the state rate, according to Department of Insurance figures. Nobody can promise what an insurer decides. We send before and after photos of each zone that you can forward to yours.

What should Sonora homeowners do about Zone 0 this fall?

Start with what the law already asks for, then do the rest in the order the withdrawn rules would have phased it in:

1. Clear leaves and needles off the roof and out of the gutters.
2. Pull dead plants, dry grass, leaves and needles out of the first five feet.
3. Clear out everything stored under the deck and stairs, and move firewood out past 30 feet.
4. Cut branches back 10 feet from the chimney and take dead wood off limbs over the roof.
5. Rake bark and wood mulch away from the walls.
6. Plan for an attached wood fence or gate, the biggest change and the one the rules gave the most time.

Inside Sonora city limits, the city's own rule asks for dead grass cut to 2 inches, not 4. Burning is still suspended for the season as far as we can find, so what comes out this fall gets chipped or hauled. The defensible space rules for Sonora and Tuolumne County set out the city and county rules in full.

What does our crew do in the first five feet?

We pull dead plants and needle drift away from the walls, rake bark and wood mulch out, clear under the deck and stairs, cut branches back from the roof and chimney, and haul it all away, in Sonora and the towns around it. We are not CAL FIRE and we do not do inspections, and we do not work on roofs, vents or siding. If you are wondering what that costs, our brush clearing cost guide explains how jobs are priced.

Sources

• Office of Administrative Law, Recent Actions Taken on Emergency Regulations, file 2026-0828-03E, read October 17, 2026
• Best Best and Krieger, California Board of Forestry Adopts Emergency Zone 0 Regulations Under AB 3074, September 9, 2026
• Public Policy Group, State Adopts California's Zone 0 Defensible Space Rules, August 21, 2026
• Wildfire Los Angeles, Zone 0 Regulations Withdrawn From OAL Review, September 11, 2026
• California Department of Insurance, Safer from Wildfires, read October 17, 2026