Helping Angelenos make safer gardens in the fire hazard zones
❋ Science - Based
Peer-reviewed research and real-world evidence
❋ People & Home
Practical solutions to reduce risk and increase safety
❋ Informed Choices
Knowledge empowers Angelenos to make better decisions
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New Research
“ Low moisture and bare ground cover are associated with higher risk of building loss, while vegetation - particularly when it provides shade - is associated with lower building loss”
- Dr. Francisco Escobedo, U.S. Forest Service
Articles & Insights
Emails (May 2025) between a California Board of Forestry Zone 0 Committee member, Berkeley Fire Department Assistant Chief Dave Winnacker and a Cal Poly fire institute director — both active in the Zone 0 marketplace — offers a rare look inside the policymaking process that is reshaping wildfire regulations in our yards. Read More →
What Zone 0 Influencers Say About the Problem with Zone 0 in Private
Reality-testing wildfire policy, media narratives, and official claims. An LA Times article draws on recent insurance industry claims that homes with a cleared “Zone 0” were less likely to burn in the Eaton and Palisades fires—and suggests this supports California’s proposed Zone 0 mandate. Let’s pause and reality-test that claim. Read More →
Do Zone 0 Homes Really Fare Better?
The headline in this article from Circling the News, “State Parks Provided Kindling for the January 7 Fire” makes a definitive accusation. The problem is simple: The article never proves it. It substitutes proximity, insinuation, and tone for evidence — and that matters, because it shifts blame from decision-making failures to conservation staff without meeting even a basic factual standard. Read More →
“State Parks Provided Kindling” — A Claim In Search of Proof.
Coming Soon
Science Library
Guides & Resources
Los Angeles Homeowner & Resident Organizations Reject Proposed Zone 0 Regulation
Urge the Board of Forestry to adopt science-based, locally informed fire-safety policy that reflects urban fire risk .