Pasadena Fire Department Will Brief Legislative Policy Committee on Zone Zero Wildfire Regulations

Pasadena’s Legislative Policy Committee is set to receive an update from the Fire Department on Tuesday regarding the status of California’s proposed Zone Zero wildfire safety regulations, a state mandate that could require property owners in high fire hazard areas to clear combustible materials within five feet of their structures.

The committee, which serves in an advisory capacity to the full City Council, will consider the Fire Department’s recommendations on how the city should respond to the pending state regulations. Any action taken by the committee would be a recommendation to the City Council, which retains final authority on all legislative policy matters.

Zone Zero refers to an ember-resistant zone within the first five feet of a home or structure, created under Assembly Bill 3074, which the state Legislature enacted in 2020. The law mandated the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish regulations requiring property owners in designated high fire hazard areas to keep the area closest to their structures clear of combustible materials to prevent embers from igniting flammable materials. Though originally set to take effect in 2023, the regulations have not yet been finalized. In February 2025, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-18-25 directing the Board to expedite adoption of Zone Zero, with a goal of having the rules in place by the end of 2025. As of December 2025, the Board had not finalized the adoption.

The Fire Department’s presentation outlines four vegetation options and two tree options currently under consideration at the state level. Vegetation options range from allowing only potted plants under 18 inches tall near structures to permitting well-maintained plants while prohibiting dead or dying vegetation, needles, leaves, weeds and combustible mulches. Tree options under consideration would allow well-maintained trees if branches are pruned to at least five feet from walls and above roofs, with branches kept 10 feet from chimneys. One tree option includes exceptions for trees protected by local ordinance, while the other does not.

The presentation notes that compliance costs could range from $10,000 to $100,000 per residence, covering removal of flammable materials including landscaping, firewood and attached fences. The Fire Department highlights local challenges including the lack of consensus at the state level after six years of discussion with no final adoption.

According to the presentation, community feedback from Pasadena residents has been supportive of Option 4 for vegetation, which would allow well-maintained plants in Zone Zero but prohibit dead or dying plants, needles, leaves, weeds and combustible mulches, and Option 2 for trees, which would allow well-maintained trees with branches kept 10 feet from chimneys. Residents have also expressed support for local control and science-based policy, opposition to a one-size-fits-all statewide mandate, and preserving healthy vegetation and the urban tree canopy.

The presentation points to actions by neighboring cities. Glendale’s City Council unanimously voted in October 2025 for the city to prepare a letter supporting local control, and in January, the Glendale Fire Department encouraged residents to act now to protect their homes. The Los Angeles City Council in January directed the Los Angeles Fire Department to develop Zone Zero regulations based on local expertise using Options 4 and 2 until the state finalizes its guidance.

The Fire Department’s recommendations include continuing to monitor for the final Zone Zero passage or having the City Council advocate for specific vegetation and tree options, communicating concerns about compliance costs per impacted residence to the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, and communicating the city’s concerns regarding enforcement requirements and implementation challenges. The new rules are expected to be adopted in 2026, with new properties required to comply immediately and existing properties potentially required to be compliant by 2029. The next Zone Zero Committee meeting at the state level is scheduled for April 23.

This item is a continuation from previous committee meetings. At its February meeting, the committee directed staff to monitor updates to Zone Zero and return with a recommendation for alternative methods that provide similar fire safety results as outlined in the Zone Zero regulation.

The Legislative Policy Committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, in the Council Chamber, Room S249, Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.