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Regulations · Hollywood HillsZone Zero Regulations for Hollywood Homeowners
Three statutes, one draft regulation, one local enforcer
California built Zone 0 in layers. Knowing which layer does what tells you what is binding today and what is still moving.
AB 3074
Created the ember-resistant zone: a third defensible-space zone covering the first 5 feet around structures in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. This is the law everything else builds on.
SB 504
Refined the defensible-space framework and pushed the state toward workable Zone 0 rules, keeping local authorities like LAFD at the center of enforcement.
AB 1455
Updated the implementation timeline after the January 2025 fires, including the windstorm that produced Hollywood's own Sunset Fire evacuation night.
Board of Forestry draft
The current proposed rulebook: what counts as combustible, what is exempt, and how the phases land. Final adoption is expected late 2026.
Inside the first five feet
Under the April 2026 draft, the 0-5 ft ember-resistant zone around a Hollywood Hills home must be kept free of combustible material. In practice that means:
- Combustible mulch and bark against the house goes. Gravel, pavers, and bare soil stay.
- Dead and dying vegetation is removed. The draft scales back earlier blanket bans on all plants; well-maintained, irrigated plantings are treated differently than dry fuel.
- Firewood, lumber, and stored combustibles move out of the zone.
- Combustible fences and gates that touch the structure are the Phase 2 headline. See the fences page.
- Rebuilds and new construction comply immediately at adoption, with no phase-in.
On stacked canyon lots, one home's fence line is often the neighbor's setback. The five feet you control may be the five feet that protects both houses.
Zone 0 regulation questions
Which law actually created Zone 0?
AB 3074, signed in 2020, created the ember-resistant zone as a third defensible-space zone covering the first 5 feet around structures. SB 504 (2024) and AB 1455 (2025) refined the framework and timeline, and the Board of Forestry's April 17, 2026 draft contains the current proposed rules.
Who writes the rules that apply to my Hollywood Hills home?
Two layers. The Board of Forestry writes the statewide Zone 0 regulation, and the City of Los Angeles, through LAFD, applies and enforces it locally. LAFD already runs annual brush clearance inspections on hillside parcels, and the local layer is what determines your inspection and timeline specifics.
Is Zone 0 final law right now?
The statutes are law, but the implementing regulation is still in draft. The April 17, 2026 Board of Forestry draft is the most current text, and final regulations are expected late 2026. Some requirements, like the ban on new combustible fences in the zone, take effect immediately at adoption.
Does the regulation apply to my whole property?
No. Zone 0 covers the first 5 feet around structures, measured from exterior walls and attached features like decks. Zones 1 and 2, out to 100 feet, remain under existing defensible-space and LAFD brush clearance rules.
Find out exactly what your home needs
Free assessment from a CSLB-licensed local contractor. Know where your canyon lot stands before the deadlines do.