Starting next year, over 220,000 San Diego homeowners will need to meet new statewide wildfire safety standards, but a lack of clarity regarding these requirements has left some residents wondering what to do.
Under updated defensible space guidelines approved by the state Legislature, owners of properties in areas identified as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones will need to enforce an ember-resistant area extending five feet from structures.
This perimeter, referred to as Zone Zero, will need to be cleared of all flammable materials – including “woody vegetation, wood products and petroleum-based products,” according to CAL FIRE.
Alexander Kane, assistant fire marshal for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said that Zone Zero is the “most vulnerable place around the house,” and creating a five-foot range of defensible space is essential to prevent damage to homes during a wildfire.
California faced over 8,000 fires last year, a stark increase from the 3,554 fires in 2024. One of the chief causes of lost homes, he said, is an abundance of dead and dying materials coupled with intense blazes that generate a lot of burning embers.
The majority of residences that burn, Kane said, do so because “of embers attacking a home.”
Building code changes for new construction begin Feb. 28, but existing properties have until February 2027 to meet the new standards. Many, many San Diegans must do so.
Under the city’s 2025 Fire Hazard Zone map, two-thirds of San Diego is designated within Very High Fire Hazard Safety zones. Kane said that adds up to over 220,000 properties.
Samantha Leslie, chair of the Mission Hills Fire Safe Council, said that almost the entire Mission Hills community is a high-risk zone. And her neighbors have questions.
“Is a wood deck not allowed, or is it? Those kinds of questions,” Leslie said. “Do I have to cut down my mature trees, or do I not?”
She said that the council’s primary goals are to educate homeowners on “home hardening” efforts, including Zone Zero specifications, and ensuring that residents are prepared for potential evacuation measures.
“I really look forward to continuing working with the fire department once they issue guidance,” Leslie said. “Because I would like to kind of help clarify to residents what it all means.”
Here’s some answers from Kane. While Zone Zero extends beyond wooden decks and porches, which are considered “extensions” of properties, wooden fences may need to be removed if they are not properly maintained. Mature trees will not need to be removed as long as they are healthy and surrounding vegetation is cleared.
These new regulations may come as a surprise to some homeowners, but Zone Zero was originally formalized through Assembly Bill 3074, which took effect in 2021. However, vegetation clearance requirements were not finalized until 2025, so enforcement was postponed.
Kane said that while homeowners have expressed confusion or concern over meeting these new requirements, enforcement will primarily rely on “voluntary compliance.” Much of the next year will be spent “educating homeowners on what’s coming.”
As part of this effort, he said that the SDFRD will conduct property assessments and provide compliance plans to homeowners in higher-risk areas as many times as needed. The removal of dead vegetation will be a primary concern.
He added that the “level of enforcement is equivalent to the level of risk.” So-called anchor homes – properties that are in higher risk areas, such as on canyon edges – will be prioritized for assessments.
Kane said that non-compliance citations and fines only will be given as a final notice if there is no effort made by the homeowner. He also pointed to resources that can aid residents with preparations, such as the SDFRD’s Home Risk Assessment and local Fire Safe Councils, like Leslie’s group.
“We’re looking for progress, not perfection,” Kane said.
Homeowners also can receive insurance discounts for complying with fire safety standards through the California Department of Insurance’s Safer from Wildfires initiative. This program provides 10 steps that homeowners can follow to protect their homes from wildfires. Discounts are applied for each item.
“It’s not going to pay for the whole cost [of retrofitting your home], but it’s going to help you start chipping away at the price,” said Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller.
According to Soller, total discounts for meeting all 10 requirements can range from 4% to 40%, with greater discounts more likely for those living in higher risk zones.
“Our goal is to make wildfire risk more transparent,” Soller said.
During the 2007 Witch Creek Fire in North County, which destroyed over 1,000 residences, Patrick Abbott, a geology professor at San Diego State University, said that he witnessed houses catch fire due to flames traveling alongside wooden fences.
“I’ve literally seen a house ignited by that,” said Abbott, author of the textbook Natural Disasters. “So on one hand, I understand why homeowners are going to be upset [with Zone Zero changes]. But the point is, that’s just a tiny step in the right direction of trying to prevent houses from burning.”
Kane said that moving forward with Zone Zero enforcement is a long-term investment, with the intention of getting all existing properties to meet proper defensible space requirements within the next 10 to 15 years.
“This is a citywide effort, and this is long-play,” he said. “We’re changing the culture – we have to change the culture – in California. We have to learn to live with wildfires.”
