California passes toughest wildfire rules in the U.S. for home landscaping

California adopts strongest landscaping rules in U.S. For wildfire risk California has adopted the toughest new rules in the country that require homeowners to manage the plants around their houses.

Key points

• Wildfire experts have discovered that homes with dense vegetation are at higher risk of burning, like in the Palisades Fire in 2025.
• Wednesday's vote by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection comes after years of debate and delays.
• "I want the board to understand what this compromise asks of local inspection programs, " Todd Lando of the Central Marin Fire Department testified at the hearing.
• California regulators ultimately struck a compromise regarding plants allowed within the five-foot zone, known as Zone Zero.
• Vegetation management rules were lately defeated in both Oregon and Washington after robust public pushback, including misinformation that spread online.

California passes toughest wildfire rules in the U.S. For home landscaping.

Wildfire experts have discovered that homes with dense vegetation are at higher risk of burning, like in the Palisades Fire in 2025. New regulations in California require homeowners to manage plants within five feet of a structure. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption.

As severe wildfires burn throughout the Western U.S., California has adopted the toughest rules in the country to assist protect communities from burning. Homeowners in wildfire-prone areas will be required to limit plants within five feet of their house, a protective measure that wildfire experts say can support prevent homes from igniting.

Research demonstrates that dry, dense vegetation around buildings can cause wildfires to spread. In extreme conditions, high winds carry a deluge of tiny, burning embers far beyond the fire itself. When those embers obtain caught in vegetation, they can ignite, spreading flames to nearby buildings and homes.

Wednesday's vote by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection comes after years of debate and delays. The state originally considered rules that would have restricted all vegetation within five feet of a house, aside from well-maintained trees. That generated pushback from some communities, concerned regarding losing greenery in their gardens and the cost of yard maintenance.

California regulators ultimately struck a compromise regarding plants allowed within the five-foot zone, known as Zone Zero. Lawns, flowers and non-woody plants up to 18 inches tall will be allowed, unless they are located directly under the roofline of a house. Though branches must be trimmed five feet away from a structure, trees will be allowed. The rules will apply to new construction right away, but will be phased in for existing structures, affecting almost 2 million homes in high-risk areas.

As wildfires obtain worse, some states are struggling to pass fire protection rules.

State regulators say the rules reflect the new reality of more extreme wildfires, driven in part by rising temperatures from climate change. More than 57, 000 homes and buildings have been destroyed in California in the last decade, according to state regulators.

"California's faced an existential crisis that has affected our health, that has affected our finances related to our ability to buy and sell homes, to insure homes and has put us in a very precarious place, " testified Yana Valachovic of the University of California Cooperative Extension at Wednesday's hearing. This person additionally advised the state on the new rules.

California's debate reflects growing tensions throughout the Western U.S. Concerning how communities should prepare for wildfires. Wildfire experts warn even fires that start in open, wildland areas can rapidly become urban fires, destroying thousands of homes in neighborhoods that residents never thought were at risk, like in the 2025 Los Angeles fires. This summer, more than 800 homes were destroyed in Spokane, Wash., by three wildfires that burned through dense neighborhoods.

Throughout a number of states, homeowners in public meetings have noted wildfire regulations threaten private property rights, reduce urban wildlife habitat and require costly maintenance. These houses survived one of the country's worst wildfires. Here's how.

"You are about to approve a set of regulations that will cost millions of California homeowners tens of billions of dollars, " testified Dave Lefkowitz, president of the Mandeville Canyon Association, a community group in the Los Angeles hills. "The math is insuperable."

Vegetation management rules were lately defeated in both Oregon and Washington after robust public pushback, including misinformation that spread online. Some community groups wanted regulators to wait for more scientific research on wildfire spread. Research demonstrates plants can rise risk.

In experiments, researchers have shown that even green plants can ignite in the dry, windy conditions of an extreme wildfire. Analyses of past California wildfires have additionally shown that homes with vegetation predominantly within six feet of the exterior walls were at higher risk of being lost. Managing vegetation additionally creates "defensible space" for firefighters, providing better access for defending a structure.

California has long been at the forefront of wildfire policy, pioneering regulations that other states have adopted. For almost 20 years, California's wildfire building codes have required homes to employ fire-resistant materials for construction. A handful of other states lately adopted similar codes. Research demonstrates that while there are no guarantees a house will survive a fire, protections are strongest when homeowners address both building materials and vegetation. Even in some of the most severe wildfires over recent years, some homes created it through.

California regulators say the widespread regulations are needed since voluntary measures don't provide enough protection. Since one home with dense, dry vegetation can spread fire to its neighbors, communities are safest when all homeowners comply. Insurance firms in California are additionally required to provide discounts to homeowners that create their homes more fire-resistant.

While California's new rules provide more flexibility for homeowners, some wildfire experts say they don't go far enough, given that any combustible material next to a house could pose a risk. The new vegetation rules will be enforced by local fire departments and state agencies that do home inspections every year. Those inspectors will bear the brunt of educating homeowners and ensuring compliance.

How homeowners are saving on insurance by upgrading their houses against disasters.

"I want the board to understand what this compromise asks of local inspection programs, " Todd Lando of the Central Marin Fire Department testified at the hearing. "A clean Zone Zero is a five-minute inspection with one question: Is anything combustible within five feet? Straightforward for the homeowner to understand and take action on." Lando states the new rules will involve more conditional judgements by inspectors, opening up debate with homeowners that could affect compliance.

California regulators say inspectors will focus on educating homeowners at first, before compliance becomes mandatory. For existing homes, the new vegetation rules will go into effect in 2029 at the earliest.

In short, california passes toughest wildfire rules in the U.S. For home landscaping is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.