CALIFORNIA — The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection voted on August 19, 2026, to adopt new landscaping rules requiring homeowners in high-risk areas to maintain a five-foot non-combustible zone around structures. Homeowners in wildfire-prone areas are required to limit plants within five feet of their house under the newly approved regulations.

Lawns, flowers, and non-woody plants up to 18 inches tall are allowed within the five-foot zone, unless located directly under the roofline. Trees are allowed within the five-foot zone, provided branches are trimmed five feet away from the structure.

The rules apply to new construction immediately. The rules will be phased in for existing structures, affecting almost 2 million homes in high-risk areas. For existing homes, the new vegetation rules will go into effect in 2029 at the earliest.

The new vegetation rules will be enforced by local fire departments and state agencies through annual home inspections. Todd Lando of the Central Marin Fire Department testified regarding the implementation process. "I want the board to understand what this compromise asks of local inspection programs. A clean Zone Zero is a five-minute inspection with one question: Is anything combustible within five feet? Easy for the homeowner to understand and take action on. Lando said."

Dave Lefkowitz, president of the Mandeville Canyon Association, testified against the financial impact of the measures. You are about to approve a set of regulations that will cost millions of California homeowners tens of billions of dollars. The math is insuperable. Lefkowitz said.

Yana Valachovic, University of California Cooperative Extension advisor, testified in support of the regulations. 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." Valachovic said."

More than 57,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed in California in the last decade. Insurance companies in California are required to provide discounts to homeowners who make their homes more fire-resistant. California's wildfire building codes have required homes to use fire-resistant materials for construction for almost 20 years.

Why It Matters

Over 1.28 million properties in California face moderate or greater wildfire risk. California accounts for $850 billion in potential reconstruction cost value for properties facing moderate or greater wildfire risk. Six of the nation’s 10 most exposed metropolitan areas for wildfire are located in California.

A poorly prepared home in California is roughly 47 times riskier than a well-prepared home. The top 10% most-prepared properties in California experience 78% lower losses than average. The bottom 10% least-prepared properties in California face losses over 10 times the average. California has more than five times the number of at-risk properties compared to Colorado.

Timeline

Data from January 1, 2026, further established that a poorly prepared home in California is roughly 47 times riskier than a well-prepared home. On that date, findings showed the top 10% most-prepared properties in California experience 78% lower losses than average. Also on January 1, 2026, it was recorded that the bottom 10% least-prepared properties in California face losses over 10 times the average.

On the same date, comparisons indicated California has more than five times the number of at-risk properties compared to Colorado. On August 19, 2026, Dave Lefkowitz, president of the Mandeville Canyon Association, testified, "You are about to approve a set of regulations that will cost millions of California homeowners tens of billions of dollars. The math is insuperable."

What's New

Terry O’Brien, who chairs the forestry board, said in a statement that the agency took 'a thoughtful, science-based approach' to the revisions 'that will meaningfully reduce risk while still being practical for homeowners.' The Central Marin Fire Department has conducted annual inspections since 2020 to help residents reduce wildfire risk, and these inspections are meant to verify that the work is already done.

The National Weather Service issued a Fire Weather Watch for Central Siskiyou County Including Shasta Valley; Siskiyou County from the Cascade Mountains East and South to Mt Shasta. Fire Weather Watch issued August 19 at 11:53AM PDT until August 21 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR. Analysis shows a poorly prepared home in California is roughly 47 times riskier than a well-prepared home.