Start with the exact address, then confirm the result with the local fire authority. The official maps identify State and Local Responsibility Areas and fire-hazard levels. A map result alone cannot determine whether a particular fence must change.
OAL records the 2026 Zone 0 emergency filing as withdrawn September 8, 2026. The Board of Forestry says its rule package remains in final review and will update its page when the final regulation is published. Check the current Board update and separate local rules before treating a fence change as mandatory.
Use the official viewers for the address, then check the local adopted map and current state and local requirements. This page does not automatically determine legal compliance.
Search the property in CAL FIRE’s map viewer. For a Local Responsibility Area, also inspect the 2025 LRA recommendation viewer and confirm the jurisdiction’s adopted map; the recommendation is not always the final local designation.
Record the responsibility area (SRA or LRA) and mapped hazard level (Moderate, High, Very High, or unmapped). If the result is LRA, verify it on your city, county, or fire district’s adopted map.
Find My Local Guide →Some jurisdictions have separate requirements. Auburn’s local Ember Resistant Zone rule, for example, covers new building or structure construction. Check the local authority for the property and the work you plan.
Send Us My Address →Fire Hazard Severity Zones describe long-term wildfire hazard. They are not the same thing as a property-specific risk score, and they do not all trigger identical legal requirements.
A Moderate LRA designation identifies a mapped hazard level. It does not, by itself, establish a statewide Zone 0 fence replacement obligation. Check the exact parcel and applicable local rules.
A High LRA designation identifies wildfire hazard. It does not, by itself, tell you to replace a fence under statewide Zone 0 rules. Separate local vegetation, building, and fire requirements may apply.
Existing defensible-space requirements can apply to structures in Very High FHSZ areas within an LRA. Verify the property and local requirements. The Board of Forestry says the statewide Zone 0 rule package remains in final review.
Existing California defensible-space requirements apply in State Responsibility Areas. The 2026 Zone 0 emergency filing was withdrawn, and the Board of Forestry says its final rule package remains under review.
The correct sequence is: identify the parcel, understand the jurisdiction and hazard designation, check local rules, then inspect the actual fence-to-house connection.
Even where a homeowner voluntarily wants a more ember-resistant first 5 feet, it may be possible to replace only the short combustible section closest to the structure rather than the entire fence.
The Board of Forestry submitted an emergency Zone 0 filing to the Office of Administrative Law as file 2026-0828-03E.
OAL’s official “Recent Actions on Emergency Regulations” page records the action as “Withdrawn, September 8, 2026.”
That emergency filing did not take effect. The Board now says the final rule package is under review. Existing defensible-space laws and separate local requirements continue to matter.
View OAL Filing History ↗Existing California defensible-space requirements apply to covered structures in the State Responsibility Area and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones within a Local Responsibility Area. Check the exact property and current local rules.
Zone 0 concerns the first five feet around a structure. Existing Zones 1 and 2 and applicable local wildfire requirements continue separately from the withdrawn emergency filing.
Board of Forestry Defensible Space ↗California’s Safer from Wildfires framework includes a five-foot ember-resistant zone and recommends metal in place of wood fencing connected to the home. Ask your insurer about the discount and documentation for your policy; insurance incentives are separate from Zone 0 rulemaking.
Ask what discount is available, what documentation or inspection is required, and whether a targeted metal transition at a wood fence connected to the house meets your carrier’s criteria.
California Safer from Wildfires ↗These government sources are the primary references behind this property-check process.
Quick answers before you make a fencing or wildfire-mitigation decision.
Search the exact address in CAL FIRE’s FHSZ viewer. For an LRA property, compare the 2025 LRA recommendation with the adopted city, county, or fire district map.
No. A Moderate or High LRA map designation alone does not require a statewide Zone 0 fence replacement. Check the parcel, current statewide rule status, and any separate local requirements.
Existing defensible-space requirements can apply to structures in Very High FHSZ areas within an LRA. Check the adopted local map and requirements; the statewide Zone 0 package remains under final review.
Existing defensible-space requirements apply in State Responsibility Areas. The 2026 Zone 0 emergency filing was withdrawn, and the Board says its final package remains under review.
OAL records the 2026 emergency filing as withdrawn. The Board of Forestry says its rule package remains in final review and will update its page when the regulation is published. Verify its current status before making a compliance decision.
Yes, subject to applicable building, permit, HOA, product, and local requirements. California’s Safer from Wildfires framework also includes a five-foot ember-resistant zone and fencing mitigation.
If you would like help interpreting the maps, submit the property address and a photo of the fence-to-house connection if the form permits. We can identify the relevant local guide and discuss the fence condition. This form is a review request, not an instant compliance determination.
If appropriate, we may connect you with an independent CSLB-licensed fencing contractor experienced in non-combustible Zone Zero applications.
There is no obligation to hire. Zone Zero Sacramento is an independent informational and contractor-referral website and does not perform construction.
We may receive compensation when we connect you with a participating contractor. Any property assessment should be confirmed against current official government sources.
An address-level check can prevent unnecessary work and misleading compliance claims.