State pulls Zone 0 rules back before a ruling
The Board of Forestry withdrew its Zone 0 rules from final state review on September 8, 2026, before the Office of Administrative Law ruled on them. The rules never took effect.
The state's record lists file 2026-0828-03E, Zone 0 Defensible Space, as withdrawn on September 8, 2026.
The official record gives no reason. A Los Angeles wildfire nonprofit reported that the Board described it as a pause for technical edits before resubmitting.
What it means for you
- The state rules are not in effect, and no statewide deadlines have started.
- When the Board resubmits, the rules could match the August draft or change.
Added to this site on October 10, 2026.
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Sources
- Recent actions taken on emergency regulations (file 2026-0828-03E, Zone 0 Defensible Space), California Office of Administrative Law, checked October 11, 2026
- Zone 0 regulations withdrawn from OAL review: what happens next?, Wildfire Los Angeles (nonprofit), September 11, 2026 (not an official source)
More updates
-
Still no statewide Zone 0 rule
As of October 10, 2026, the state's list of emergency rules under review has nothing from the Board of Forestry. The statewide rule is not law. Some cities, like San Diego and Berkeley, have their own.
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Board of Forestry adopts Zone 0 rules
On August 19, 2026, the Board of Forestry adopted emergency rules for the 5 feet around homes in fire zones. They still needed state approval to take effect.
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San Diego starts applying Zone Zero
On February 12, 2026, the City of San Diego began applying Zone Zero to new homes in its Very High fire zones. It expects existing homes there to comply by February 2027.