The checklist hub
Everything in the first five feet
Fences get most of the attention, but Zone 0 reaches further. The statewide regulation the Board of Forestry approved on August 19, 2026 (adopted, but not yet in effect pending Office of Administrative Law review) and the local ordinances already in force cover everything combustible in the first five feet: the mulch under your windows, the shed against the wall, the firewood by the door, the trellis on the patio. Each category below gets the same treatment as our fencing coverage: the rule text, the local variations, the honest "you don't need to fix this" cases, and the compliant alternatives. Start with the 15-minute self-assessment, or check whether the rules would even reach your address with the address checker.
The categories
Fencing: the five-foot span
The most consequential category: the regulation's fence provisions, materials test, and the retrofit. Our deepest coverage.
Mulch & ground cover
The cheapest fix on the list: what replaces wood mulch in the five feet, and which phase it lands in.
Plants & vegetation
What the regulation allows, what LA is fighting about, and what not to rip out yet. The contested category.
Decks, stairs & attached structures
The zone is measured from them, and what's under them counts. The August package narrowed the definition, so noncombustible attached decks now count too.
Sheds & outbuildings
The regulation's flat rule: not in Zone 0 unless entirely noncombustible. What that means for your shed.
Firewood, bins & stored combustibles
Firewood, lumber, plastic bins, boats and RVs: the free fixes that matter most, and the metal-enclosure options.
Pergolas, trellises & décor
What's prohibited among trellises, arbors, planters, privacy screens, and shade structures, and the noncombustible swaps.
The twelve insurance measures
The full Safer from Wildfires list your carrier's form uses. Fencing is #1; here are the other eleven.
Who pays for Zone 0 work
CWMP, fire safe council programs, and the insurance credit. The free fixes come first.
The contractor's quoting guide
Scope, materials, jurisdiction checks, documentation, and the claims that create liability.
Where you live
Los Angeles County
The biggest affected footprint in the state, and a city moving the other way.
San Diego County
The only region with hard, dated deadlines (inside city limits). Who's actually covered.
Riverside County
Where the state rule would reach in the Inland Empire's canyons and foothills.
Ventura County
Hillside communities, the county fire department's programs, and what applies where.
Choosing materials
Metal vs. wood gate
The gate is usually the attached piece. An honest comparison under the fire rules, including when wood is still fine.
Aluminum vs. steel vs. chain link
All three pass the noncombustible test. How to pick for the five-foot span: weight, rust, privacy, gates, DIY.
What passes ASTM E136
The test behind every version of the rule, and the marketing labels that don't count.
Tools
Check your address
Queries CAL FIRE's official hazard layers: would the state rule reach your home?
Walk-the-line self-assessment
16 questions, a prioritized punch list, and the items you don't need to spend money on.