Ember-Resistant Zone · PRC §4291
Is your fence in the first five feet?
California’s ember-resistant zone — “Zone 0” — covers the first five feet around a structure, and the guidance for that band includes replacing combustible fencing and gates with noncombustible alternatives. Here is what is settled, what is still in rulemaking, and where to check your own address.
Measured from any structure, including outbuildings, attached decks and stairs.
Zone 0 required for new structures built in Very High Fire Severity Zones after this date.
San Diego Fire-Rescue says existing owners should aim to meet AB 3074 Zone 0 guidance by then.
Both amended Public Resources Code §4291, directing the Board of Forestry to set the zone.
Where the rule actually stands
The legislation is on the books, but the detailed Zone 0 regulations have been through an extended rulemaking process. The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection was scheduled to consider adopting a final draft at its August 19, 2026 meeting, after earlier drafts in April and July 2026. Local requirements, such as the City of San Diego’s date for new structures, are already in force independently.
We would rather tell you that plainly than sell you a fence against a deadline that does not exist. Verify the current text at the Board of Forestry defensible space page and your local rules with San Diego Fire-Rescue.
What It Covers
The first five feet, measured from the building
Zone 0 is the innermost of three defensible space bands: Zone 0 is 0–5 ft, Zone 1 is 5–30 ft, and Zone 2 is 30–100 ft. The purpose of Zone 0 is to give wind-driven embers nothing to catch on immediately against the structure, which is how a great many homes are actually lost.
For that band, the City of San Diego’s published guidance for existing structures includes removing dead plants, leaves, needles, mulch, firewood, trash and debris; using hardscape such as concrete, gravel, pavers or bare soil; limiting combustible items on decks; and replacing combustible fencing, gates and arbors with noncombustible alternatives.
Because it is measured from the structure, the practical fencing question is rarely “the whole perimeter” — it is the gate beside the house, the return section against the garage, and any fence tight to an attached deck or stair.
Materials
Combustible versus noncombustible, in plain terms
The guidance is written around whether a material burns, not around brand names. Confirm anything specific with your fire agency, since final regulatory text governs.
Combustible — expect to replace inside Zone 0
- •Wood fencing and gates (cedar, redwood, pine)
- •Vinyl and PVC fencing
- •Wood-plastic composite boards
- •Bamboo and reed screening
- •Timber arbors and trellises against the house
Noncombustible — what we build instead
- •Ornamental iron and steel fencing and gates
- •Powder-coated tubular steel panels
- •Galvanized and vinyl-coated chain link
- •Iron handrails and guardrails
- •Masonry or block, with metal infill panels
A cheaper middle path: you rarely need to convert an entire yard. Keeping wood or vinyl on the runs away from structures and switching to iron, steel or chain link only for the sections inside the five-foot band is usually the lowest-cost approach, and it is a normal part of how HD Fence, Inc. designs a fence.
Verify First
Check your own address against the official maps
Defensible space obligations attach to properties in the State Responsibility Area or in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone within a Local Responsibility Area. These are the primary sources — not us.
CAL FIRE hazard severity maps
State Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping, including State Responsibility Areas.
Open map →San Diego Fire-Rescue defensible space guide
City guidance for Zones 0, 1 and 2, plus the Zone 0 guidelines document for existing structures.
Read guidance →Board of Forestry rulemaking
Current Zone 0 draft and adopted regulation text, meeting materials and public comment.
Check status →San Diego Fire-Rescue has also offered a personalised Home Risk Assessment since July 1, 2025 covering defensible space including Zone 0, at a published fee of $163. For brush and weed hazard complaints, the City lists its Fire-Rescue Fire Hazard Advisor at 619-533-4444, and area advisors for inspection services at 619-533-4388.
Zone Zero FAQ
Questions homeowners actually ask us
Do I have to replace my whole fence?+
Is the Zone 0 regulation final?+
What dates actually apply in the City of San Diego?+
Does Zone 0 apply to my property at all?+
What does the guidance say about fencing specifically?+
What can HD Fence build for the first five feet?+
What about a fence shared with a neighbour?+
Can someone official assess my property?+
This page is general information about published defensible space guidance, not a legal or compliance determination for your property. For an authoritative answer about your address, contact your local fire agency.
Want a metal fence quoted properly?
We will walk the property, show you which sections sit inside the five feet, and price iron, steel or chain link for those runs. CSLB #956893.