New State Regulations Being Developed For Fire Prone Areas
Sacramento, CA — The State of California is developing new regulations that will prevent things like wooden fencing, wood furniture, sheds, and brush from being within five feet of homes in fire-prone areas.
It comes after the so-called “zone-zero” law was passed by lawmakers in 2020 and initially set to take effect in 2023. It came following the record-breaking fire seasons of 2017 and 2018, including the one that ripped through Paradise. However, there have been delays in drafting the new regulations, leading some lawmakers who authored the legislation to voice frustrations about the rules not being in place ahead of the wildfires that devasted Los Angeles last month.
After returning from Washington, DC to meet with President Donald Trump last week about disaster aid, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an order to direct CAL Fire to publish the delayed draft regulations next month and adopt them by the end of the year.
The rules will be in addition to the defensible space laws that require homeowners to clear flammable materials within 100 feet of structures.
