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California's Fire Hazard Zones and "Zone Zero": What Southern California Property Owners Should Know About Their Roofs

Finished shingle roof on a Southern California home

After the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, California sped up two related efforts. One updated the maps that show where wildfire hazard is highest. The other wrote new rules for “Zone Zero,” the first five feet around a building. Both affect property owners across Southern California, from the foothills of LA and Orange County to wildland-edge neighborhoods in the Coachella Valley.

This guide explains what has changed, what’s in effect today, and what’s still pending. It focuses on the part of your property we know best: the roof, the gutters, and the openings where embers can get in.

Status note (as of October 6, 2026): The California Board of Forestry approved Zone Zero regulations in August 2026, but they are not yet in effect statewide. The package was filed with the Office of Administrative Law (OAL file 2026-0828-03E) and withdrawn on September 8, 2026; as of this writing it has not been refiled or approved. See “Where Zone Zero stands today” below. Defensible-space and roofing requirements that already exist in state law still apply now.

What Are Fire Hazard Severity Zones?

Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) are areas mapped by CAL FIRE’s Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM). They’re based on the fire hazard expected over the long term. The maps look at vegetation (fuel), slope, fire weather, and wind, which in Southern California includes Santa Ana wind patterns. Each area is rated:

  • Moderate
  • High
  • Very High

An FHSZ rating is about the hazard of the land and conditions around a property. It is not an insurance risk score for one specific house.

State Responsibility Area vs. Local Responsibility Area

Who maps and enforces depends on who provides wildfire protection where you live:

  • State Responsibility Area (SRA): Mostly unincorporated, wildland-adjacent land where CAL FIRE has primary wildfire responsibility.
  • Local Responsibility Area (LRA): Land protected by a city, county, or local fire district. This covers most incorporated cities in LA County, Orange County, and the Coachella Valley.

This difference matters because the requirements in state law (including the proposed Zone Zero rules) are not the same for SRA and LRA properties.

Why the maps got bigger in 2024–2025

CAL FIRE rebuilt its hazard model, and the maps were updated in two steps:

  • SRA maps took effect April 1, 2024.
  • LRA maps were released as recommendations in four phases between February 10 and March 24, 2025. Southern California, including the City of Los Angeles, was part of the March 24, 2025 release.

Earlier LRA maps showed only Very High zones. A 2021 state law (SB 63) expanded LRA mapping to include Moderate and High zones too. So many properties in cities show up on a hazard map for the first time.

By state law (Government Code §51179), a city or county must adopt the recommended zones by ordinance within 120 days of receiving them. Locals may not lower a zone the state recommends, but they may raise a rating or add areas.

Check your address: Use CAL FIRE’s official Fire Hazard Severity Zone Viewer. Because cities adopt and enforce the LRA maps, also confirm with your city’s fire department or planning office.

What Is Zone Zero?

State defensible-space law splits the area around a building into three zones:

ZoneDistance from structureFocus
Zone 0 (“ember-resistant zone”)0–5 feetRemove what embers can ignite
Zone 15–30 feetLean, clean, well-spaced vegetation
Zone 230–100 feetReduce fuel to slow an approaching fire

Zone Zero exists because of how homes actually ignite. Wind-blown embers land against walls, under eaves, in gutters, and on roofs. If they find something dry to burn, a house can catch fire even when the main fire front never reaches it. The Legislature directed the Board of Forestry to write Zone Zero rules in 2020 (AB 3074) and added to that direction in 2024 (SB 504) and 2025 (AB 1455). A February 2025 executive order also pushed the effort forward.

What the Board’s approved Zone Zero rules would require

These points come from the Board of Forestry’s August 2026 regulation text and summary. They would apply to properties in the SRA and in Very High FHSZ areas within the LRA. Inside the first five feet of a structure (attached decks, stairs, and pergolas count as part of the structure):

  • No combustible materials: fallen leaves and needles, bark or wood-chip mulch, other combustible debris, and no firewood storage.
  • Roof and gutters kept clear of leaves, needles, and other combustible debris.
  • Nothing combustible under decks, balconies, pergolas, or stairs.
  • A vegetation-free buffer under the eaves (at least 1 foot from the wall), within 2 feet of windows, doors, and vents, and within 5 feet of an attached deck, stairs, or pergola.
  • Limited plants allowed farther out: low, well-kept non-woody plants, lawn kept short, and small spaced plantings or noncombustible pots, within height and spacing limits.
  • Trees can stay, but must be maintained: no dead branches, branches at least 10 feet from chimneys, no branches under eaves, branches at least 5 feet above the roof, and low “ladder fuels” removed.
  • Fences and gates: combustible fences and gates may not attach to the house. A 5-foot noncombustible section is required where a fence or gate meets the structure. No new combustible fencing within 5 feet.
  • Sheds and small outbuildings in Zone Zero must be noncombustible.

Local fire agencies in LRA areas could approve alternatives that provide “substantially similar” protection, and some cities may choose to be stricter.

Where Zone Zero stands today

  • August 19, 2026: The Board of Forestry approved the Zone Zero regulations.
  • August 28, 2026: The package went to the state Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for legal review as emergency file 2026-0828-03E. The regulations take effect only after OAL approves them and they are filed with the Secretary of State.
  • September 8, 2026: OAL’s Recent Actions on Emergency Regulations log shows the package was withdrawn from review before a decision was made. As of October 6, 2026, it does not appear on OAL’s Emergency Regulations Under Review list. Local fire-safety groups report that the Board described the withdrawal as procedural, to address technical edits, with no announced date for refiling.

As of this writing, there is no statewide Zone Zero effective date, so no statewide Zone Zero deadline has started.

Expected timeline once the rules take effect

The August 2026 approved draft phases in requirements so homeowners have time to plan:

  • New construction: full compliance once the rules take effect. State law also ties this to the Board updating its defensible-space guidance document.
  • Existing homes, right away: items already required by state law, such as a clean roof and gutters, no dead branches, and branches kept 10 feet from chimneys and out from under eaves.
  • Existing homes, within 3 years: clearing combustible debris, mulch, and firewood from the 5-foot zone, clearing under decks, and finishing tree trimming such as ladder fuels and roof clearance.
  • Existing homes, within 3 to 5 years (timeline set locally): the vegetation-free buffer next to the house, noncombustible fence and gate sections, and changes to sheds.

Some cities are already ahead of the state. Laguna Beach, for example, has applied its own defensible-space guideline (including Zone 0) to existing homes in its Very High zone since November 2021. Your city’s ordinance may already apply to you, so ask your local fire department.

A Quick Look at Zones 1 and 2

Zones 1 and 2 aren’t new, but they’re part of the same picture. In covered areas, CAL FIRE and the Board of Forestry call for:

  • Zone 1 (5–30 ft): Remove dead plants, leaves, and needles, including from the roof and gutters. Trim branches at least 10 feet from chimneys. Space trees and shrubs. Clear under decks and stairs. Keep 10 feet of clearance around outbuildings and propane tanks.
  • Zone 2 (30–100 ft): Mow grass to 4 inches or less. Create horizontal and vertical spacing between shrubs and trees. Remove dead vegetation, and keep clearance around outbuildings and propane tanks.

Vegetation clearing, tree work, and landscaping are usually handled by the property owner, a landscaper, or a licensed tree service. Your city or fire department sets the specific rules where you live.

What This Means for Your Roof

Your roof is one of the largest surfaces on your property that embers can land on. Several roof-related requirements are already law, regardless of where Zone Zero stands.

What “Class A” means

Roofs are fire-tested and rated Class A, B, or C. Class A is the highest rating. It means the roof held up against severe fire exposure in standardized testing (ASTM E108 / UL 790), including burning brands placed on the roof surface.

Two points matter:

  • The rating usually applies to an assembly, not just the top layer. Some materials are Class A on their own. Others reach Class A only when installed over a specific underlayment, deck, or slope, exactly as the manufacturer’s listing requires.
  • It’s already required in many areas. Under California Health & Safety Code §13132.7, in Very High FHSZ areas, new roofs and any reroof of more than half the roof within a year must be at least Class A. New buildings in FHSZ and wildland-urban interface areas must meet the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which calls for a Class A roof assembly (CWUI §504.2). CAL FIRE’s guidance is simple: when it’s time to replace your roof, install a Class A-rated roof.

State law also requires the roofer to give the owner certification of the roof covering’s fire classification. Keep it with your property records. It can help with insurance questions and a future sale.

Where embers get in: the roof’s weak spots

Even a Class A roof can be put at risk by what’s on it and around it. CAL FIRE’s home-hardening guidance points to:

  • Gutters full of leaves and needles. Dry debris in a gutter catches embers easily and can expose the roof edge and fascia. Vinyl gutters can melt or burn.
  • Gaps at roof edges and ridges. Openings between the roof covering and the deck, such as unsealed edges or open profiles on tile, let embers and debris collect underneath. Bird stops and eave closures help close these gaps.
  • Roof valleys and roof-to-wall joints. Debris collects in valleys and where a roof meets a wall, and that is where combustible siding is most exposed.
  • Vents. Attic, ridge, and eave vents with openings larger than 1/8 inch can let embers in. CAL FIRE recommends State Fire Marshal-listed ember- and flame-resistant vents, or noncombustible metal mesh between 1/16 and 1/8 inch. Ventilation still has to meet code.
  • Eaves. Open eaves with gaps at rafter tails or blocking let embers in. Boxing them in with noncombustible material, or sealing the gaps, reduces the risk.
  • Skylights. CAL FIRE recommends 1/8-inch metal mesh on skylights that open, tempered glass, and metal flashing around wood-framed skylights.
  • Solar panels and other roof attachments. Leaves and needles can build up under and around panels. Keep these areas clear and make sure attachment points are well sealed.
  • Attached decks and fences. A combustible deck or fence attached to the house can carry fire straight to the wall and eaves. That’s why Zone Zero treats attached decks as part of the structure and limits attached combustible fencing.

Debris on and near the roof

State law already requires keeping roofs in covered areas free of leaves, needles, and other vegetative material, and the proposed Zone Zero rules repeat that for roofs and gutters. In practice:

  • Clean roofs and gutters regularly, especially before fall Santa Ana wind season and after heavy leaf drop.
  • Trim branches back from the roof. The Zone Zero draft calls for at least 5 feet above the roof, no branches under eaves, and 10 feet from chimneys. Tree trimming is generally a job for a licensed tree service.
  • Pay attention to valleys, flat or low-slope sections, and the areas behind chimneys and around skylights and solar arrays.

How maintenance visits and reroofs fit in

  • Maintenance visits are a good time to clear roof and gutter debris, check for gaps at edges and ridges, look at vent screens, and spot overhanging limbs to point out to your tree service.
  • Gutter upgrades to metal gutters with noncombustible guards and a metal drip edge follow CAL FIRE’s recommendations directly.
  • A reroof is the natural time to confirm you’re getting a listed Class A assembly and to fix weak details such as edge closures, bird stops, flashing at roof-to-wall joints, and ember-resistant vents, all at once.

BYLTup handles roofing, gutters, and solar. We don’t do landscaping or vegetation clearance, so for the ground-level parts of Zone Zero, work with your landscaper, a licensed tree service, and your local fire department.

What About Selling a Home?

If you sell a home in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, California law (Civil Code §1102.19, in effect since July 1, 2021) generally requires you to give the buyer documentation that the property meets defensible-space requirements. That documentation comes from a local or state inspection, usually done within the six months before the sale. If you can’t get it in time, the buyer and seller can agree in writing that the buyer will get it within one year after closing. Ask your real estate agent and local fire department how inspections work in your area. Sale-disclosure details may change when statewide Zone Zero takes effect; confirm current requirements at the time of sale.

A Roof and Gutter Checklist for Southern California Property Owners

Use this list to work through the roof-related items:

  • Look up your address on CAL FIRE’s FHSZ Viewer, and confirm with your city whether you’re in SRA or LRA and which zone applies.
  • Find your roof’s fire rating. Look for the certification from your last roof replacement. If you can’t find it, a roof inspection can help identify the material and its likely rating.
  • Keep the roof and gutters clear of leaves, needles, and debris, especially in valleys, behind chimneys, and under solar panels.
  • Consider noncombustible gutter guards, and replace vinyl gutters with metal when it’s time.
  • Check for a metal drip edge covering the space above the gutters.
  • Close gaps at roof edges and ridges (bird stops, eave closures, sealed edges).
  • Check attic, eave, and ridge vents for 1/16–1/8 inch metal mesh or State Fire Marshal-listed ember-resistant vents.
  • Look at skylights and roof penetrations for mesh, flashing, and sealing.
  • Look for overhanging branches, including any within 10 feet of a chimney, under eaves, or less than 5 feet above the roof, and have a tree service handle them.
  • Look where the roof meets attached decks, patio covers, and fences, and talk with the right contractor about flashing or noncombustible sections.
  • Plan your next reroof around a listed Class A assembly.
  • Ask your city or fire department (or CAL FIRE, if you’re in the SRA) about vegetation rules, inspections, and any local Zone Zero ordinance.

The Bottom Line

The updated maps put more Southern California properties in a designated hazard zone, and Zone Zero is on the way. For roofs, the basics are already the law in many areas: a Class A roof where required, and a roof and gutters free of leaves and needles. Getting these right now puts you ahead of whatever the final Zone Zero rules require.

Schedule a Roof and Gutter Inspection

If you’d like a professional look at your roof’s condition, gutters, vents, and edge details, BYLTup offers free estimates and roof inspections across Long Beach, LA County, Orange County, and the Coachella Valley. If we recommend work, you’ll get a clear lump-sum estimate.

BYLTup holds GAF Master Elite® (residential), GAF GoldElite (commercial), and GAF Solar Certified credentials. We’re also an IB Roof Systems Tier 1 contractor, a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor (DMCP), and we install Enphase solar systems.

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This article is general information, not legal advice. Requirements depend on your property’s location and local ordinances. Confirm with your local fire department or building department.

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