Zone Zero goes beyond rules for Zone 1, which refers to the area within a 5- to 35-foot radius of a home, and for Zone 2, the area between 35 and 100 feet, to address the five feet of space directly next to a home.<\/p>\n
The new rules essentially say nothing flammable can be in that zone. While plants and other landscaping are the chief focus, the law also applies to fencing, patios and decks made of wood or other flammable materials.<\/p>\n
Zone Zero will take effect in February, applying only to new construction at first. Most existing homes that don\u2019t already conform with the regulations will have until February 2027 to comply.<\/p>\n
The rules apply only in \u201cvery high\u201d fire hazard severity zones, but the vast majority of San Diego \u2014 about two-thirds \u2014 is in such a zone, including some of La Jolla.<\/p>\n
Several areas of La Jolla \u2014 including Soledad Natural Park, La Jolla Heights Natural Park, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and UC San Diego \u2014 were identified as having very high fire hazards in a 2025 assessment<\/a> by Cal Fire, the first new map since 2011 laying out fire hazard zones across the state.<\/p>\n Critics of Zone Zero say it will cost homeowners thousands of dollars to comply, while supporters say the rules are expected to dramatically boost wildfire prevention.<\/p>\n Planning Commissioner Daniel Reeves said last month that Zone Zero is likely to be particularly impactful because San Diego has so many homes beside canyons.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are thousands of homeowners on canyons that are probably not compliant even with the Zone 1 and 2 requirements, let alone Zone Zero,\u201d Reeves said. \u201cSo it will be interesting how enforcement is done there.\u201d<\/p>\n City officials said they plan to focus on education over enforcement, acknowledging they don\u2019t have the resources for aggressive enforcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many parcels that we just don\u2019t have enough staff to really enforce,\u201d said Daniel Hypes, the city\u2019s assistant fire marshal. \u201cWhen we get complaints, we will go and investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department does educational home risk assessments<\/a> on request, and Hypes said they are expected to become more crucial with the Zone Zero rules in effect.<\/p>\n Even without enforcement, most homeowners likely will have to comply with the rules or risk losing fire insurance, said Deputy Fire Chief Tony Tosca.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t do it, then the insurance is going to impose it anyway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Tosca said city officials plan to be flexible in some situations \u2014 for instance, allowing a 100-year-old tree within five feet of a home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not going to expect them to cut it down,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll give them options. We\u2019re going to do a lot of education and outreach.\u201d<\/p>\n At the Jan. 8 La Jolla Town Council meeting, firefighters advocated compliance with Zone Zero and discussed its role in statewide efforts to prevent wildfires.<\/p>\n Fire prevention inspector Jordan Harrer said Zone Zero is \u201can extension of the home hardening that many of us are already doing to extend outward from the home.\u201d It was implemented because the area within five feet of a house is \u201cwhere embers most commonly land and ignite materials,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not about \u201ccosmetic changes\u201d but rather \u201creducing wildfire risk at the home itself,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Though the new regulations initially apply to new construction, Harrer said owners of existing houses can meet the terms of Zone Zero if they \u201ckeep the area around your home clear of combustible debris, avoid storing \u2026 combustible items against walls or under windows [and] clear the leaves and needles from roofs and gutters.\u201d<\/p>\n La Jolla landscape architect Jim Neri said that although bringing properties into compliance might be expensive for homeowners who have flammable vegetation or fixtures in the 5-foot space, Zone Zero is a good idea.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the recent fires we can see that La Jolla is no more protected than Pacific Palisades, so implementing these preventive standards now makes good sense,\u201d Neri said, referring to the devastating wildfire in Los Angeles<\/a> a year ago and to fires in San Diego County, including La Jolla<\/a>, last year. \u201cIt also provides a good maintenance path around homes for window washing, painting, repairs and termite tenting and is considered in property insurance as well. From a landscape architecture standpoint, it becomes another aspect of any design program.\u201d<\/p>\n However, he added, it \u201cshould be tempered with common sense to allow for fire-retardant landscape such as succulents and living walls in limited amounts so Municipal Code landscape requirements may be met.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jordan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ljl-l-town-council.jpg\")
Jordan Harrer of San Diego Fire-Rescue addresses the La Jolla Town Council on Jan. 8 about the city\u2019s new \u201cZone Zero\u201d regulations. (Ashley Mackin-Solomon)<\/p>\n