SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Following devastating January wildfires in Los Angeles that claimed numerous homes, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he will issue an executive order to accelerate the implementation of overdue regulations mandating homeowners in high-risk areas to clear flammable materials around their residences. The order is expected to be signed following Newsom’s trip to Washington to advocate for disaster relief.
The regulation, originally approved by lawmakers in 2020 and slated to be in effect by January 1, 2023, necessitates homeowners to eliminate hazardous materials like dead vegetation and wooden objects within a 5-foot perimeter of their homes in fire-prone zones. Despite the destructive fires in LA earlier this year, the regulations had not been finalized, with no definitive timeline provided by the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Lawmakers expressed frustration over the delay, with experts indicating that stricter protocols could have mitigated the impacts of the Palisades Fire, which caused extensive damage in Los Angeles.
Many of the neighborhoods affected by the Palisades Fire fall within high-risk areas designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, thus making them subject to the impending rules. The directive will grant existing homeowners a three-year window to comply with the regulations. The executive order will also expand the fire-prone map to include approximately 1.4 million additional acres, requiring adherence to the home-hardening measures.
In an effort to address the growing threat of extreme weather conditions, Newsom emphasized a comprehensive state strategy encompassing forest management, firefighting resources, community fortification, and technological advancements to enhance wildfire resilience. The governor has proposed a $25 million allocation to assist homeowners in adhering to the regulations and maintaining defensible spaces.
This initiative aims to promote proactive measures to safeguard vulnerable properties and reduce the risk of home ignition during wildfire events.
California currently enforces some of the strictest defensible-space laws in the Western United States. These laws mandate that homeowners residing in areas prone to wildfires must maintain a clear zone around their homes, devoid of any landscaping or materials that could potentially ignite. The regulations were first implemented in the 1960s, requiring residents in high-risk locations to remove flammable items within a 30-foot radius of their houses. Subsequently, in 2006, the rules were extended to encompass a 100-foot perimeter around structures.
A recent development in these regulations introduces a novel concept known as the “ember-resistant” zone, designated as “zone zero.” Within this zone, situated within 5 feet of homes, the presence of materials such as brush, wooden fencing, furniture, sheds, and mulch is prohibited. The primary objective is to eliminate any combustible materials that could be ignited by airborne embers carried by strong winds, thus preventing potential fires from spreading to the structures. According to state officials and researchers, approximately 90% of structures destroyed by wildfires are attributed to embers.
The introduction of the zone-zero law garnered bipartisan support following a series of unprecedented wildfires in California during 2017 and 2018. Among these devastating fires was one that razed the town of Paradise, resulting in the destruction of over 17,000 structures and the tragic loss of 85 lives.
