New Threat to Property Owners
SB 629: Bigger Maps, Faster Rules, Annual Fees
California State Senators have sponsored State Bill 629 (Durazo, Cortese, Menjivar, Perez, Reyes, Smallwood-Cuevas, Stern). If enacted, more neighborhoods could be marked as higher fire risk, especially places that already burned or where homes are close together as found in dense urban neighborhoods.
Bottom line: SB 629 widens California’s fire-hazard maps, switches on new rules fast after big fires, and makes property owners pay for enforcement.
What the bill does
Expands the map. Adds burn perimeters, wind corridors, and urban conflagration risk (dense neighborhoods where buildings spread fire to neighboring buildings). More places get labeled high-risk.
Creates “Post-Wildfire Safety Areas.” After any big fire, ≥1,000 acres, >10 homes lost, or a fatality, the entire burn perimeter is mapped. Thirty days after CAL FIRE sends that map to your city/county, state fire rules automatically apply.
Puts Zone 0 front and center. The rules explicitly include Zone 0 — the first 0–5 feet around your home must be clear of all landscape plants, amenities and accessories.
Formalizes annual enforcement. Starting 2027, local fire agencies must inspect homes every year, can charge fees, and can use aerial imagery if they can’t access a property.
What changes
More neighborhoods will be in the fire zones. Even areas not previously mapped can be covered — especially dense urban blocks or places that already burned.
Rules arrive quickly. In a Post-Wildfire Safety Area, Zone 0 and other state rules automatically start 30 days after the map goes out.
Yearly inspections and costs. Expect annual compliance checks beginning 2027; local agencies can bill the State to fund the program.
Less process, faster designations. Post-fire designations skip standard rulemaking, public and environmental safeguards.
Key dates
Jan 1, 2025 — Fires from this date can trigger a Post-Wildfire Safety Area.
≤90 days after 100% containment (or by May 1, 2026) — State Fire Marshal sends the map to local agencies.
+30 days after transmittal — State rules (including Zone 0) apply inside the burn perimeter.
Jan 1, 2027 — Inspections begin.
Jan 1, 2029 — Latest start for annual documentation if an agency claims “adequate progress.”
Takeaway for homeowners
If SB 629 becomes law, expect broader mapping, faster mandates after fires, and yearly inspections with fees.
ZONE 0 FACT SHEET
The State of California is rolling out a strict mandate at the end of this year that will force us to rip out the gardens around our homes in the high fire severity zones. Remove almost every plant within 5 feet of homes or any structure in the yard. They call it Zone 0 — the latest wildfire “solution.” This mandate goes far beyond the traditional 100-foot defensible space brush clearance law and noncompliance can result in stiff fines and property liens.
What’s Being Formulated Under AB 3074 (New Statewide Mandate) is Defensible Space Overkill and Over Reach. If adopted, these new statewide rules will eliminate the long-standing flexibility homeowners have had to responsibly manage their own yards—especially in dense urban neighborhoods.
Under the draft rules:
No landscaping materials will be allowed within 0 to 5 feet of any structure (including homes, decks, or adjacent homes or structures on your or your neighbor’s property). This includes, but is not limited to:
➤ Grass, shrubs or trees, groundcovers, fallen leaves, live tree or shrub branches, wood chip mulch
➤ Potted plants are allowed under 18 inches tall, placed in non-combustible pots no larger than 5 gallons, at least 1.5 times the height of the plant or 12 inches apart, whichever is greater, must not be located beneath, above, or adjacent to any window, glass door, or vent, and must be maintained in a moveable container free of dead or dying material
➤ Single specimen trees may be allowed—if their canopy is at least 5 feet above the adjacent roof and 5 feet from sides of adjacent structure and 10 feet from chimneys or stovepipe outlets. They are pruned and maintained according to guidelines that are often horticulturally and structurally unsound
➤ No privacy hedges or groupings of any plants including small ground cover patches. No decorative wooden window boxes or trellises, and no combustible fencing.
Why This Matters. For homeowners on small lots in dense neighborhoods, this likely means no landscaping at all—making Zone 0 effectively a no-landscape zone. The policy will make it easier for insurance providers to deny claims and you could be subjected to stiff penalties, including fines, property liens and forced clearance by unskilled City contractors and have to pay that bill.
Shade & Cooling: Removing plants increases surface temps and cooling costs.
Habitat: Urban wildlife—including birds and pollinators—depend on these green spaces.
Cultural Value: Gardens are part of how Angelenos build identity and community.
Privacy & Security: Most LA homes are just feet apart. Vegetation provides cover.
Why Zone 0 Doesn’t Make Sense. Research shows the structures are the fire’s fuel once the fire enters the urban environment — not landscape plants, especially if those plants are oaks trees or well-hydrated and well-maintained. Over-clearance can cause erosion, raise temperatures, reduce privacy, and ironically make homes less safe from a fire.
1. Fire Risk in Cities Comes from Nearby Structures, Not Plants
Source: Maranghides (NIST)
In dense communities, fire spreads building to building, not from a shrub or tree or grass (aka vegetation) to a home.
➤ “You can remove vegetation from Zone 0 and still lose your house if your neighbor ignites.”➤ If you move a feature out of your Zone 0, you may be moving it closer to your neighbor’s home. This shifts risk—it doesn’t remove it.
2. Vegetation Is Not the Primary Risk
Source: Gollner (UC Berkeley)
In a study of 47,000+ structures across 5 fires:➤ Most important risk factor: the space between houses
➤ Vegetation played only a minor role, especially in urban fires.
➤ Zone 0 removal showed limited benefits unless applied city-wide.
3. Moist Shady Landscapes May Help, Not Hurt
Source: Escobedo et al.
➤ No link found between well-maintained vegetation near homes and structure loss.
➤ Healthy, hydrated landscapes increase structure survivability, may slow fire spread, cool surfaces, and retain moisture.