As California delays 'zone zero' wildfire protection rules, study finds clearing vegetation prevented home damage in LA fires

"As California again delays controversial rules requiring homeowners in fire-prone areas to maintain a 5-foot "ember-resistant" zone around their houses, a new report finds that properties that were already close to that standard were much less likely to be destroyed in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January. With ashes still smoldering, researchers with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry-backed group, surveyed 252 homes that had been in the path of the blazes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades."

"The group determined that of homes with more than half of their 5-foot zone covered in vegetation or other combustible material, 27% were completely destroyed. That share fell to 9% for homes with flammable material covering less than a quarter of the zone. Roy Wright, chief executive of the institute, said the findings reveal that "there are ways that we can narrow the pathways of destruction" during climate-driven megafires and "we should have faith and trust in those strategies.""

"In response to disagreements over how strictly to enforce the " zone zero" requirements, the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection said it would wait until March 2026 to continue working on the regulations, blowing past a Dec. 31 deadline to finalize the rules set by Newsom's order. A 2020 law originally mandated a January 2023 deadline to complete the regulations. According to Bloomberg News, the latest delay means it could be mid-2029 or later before any mandate takes effect for the roughly 2 million homes in high-risk fire areas, including parts of every Bay Area county except San Francisco."

A survey of 252 homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades compared destruction rates with the condition of the 5-foot ember-resistant zone around each house. Homes with more than half of their 5-foot zone covered in vegetation or other combustible material experienced complete destruction at a 27% rate. Homes with flammable material covering less than a quarter of the zone saw a 9% complete-destruction rate. Reduced combustible material near structures substantially lowered likelihood of total loss during the January megafires. California postponed finalizing Zone Zero regulations until March 2026, with implementation possibly mid-2029 or later for about 2 million high-risk homes. Officials emphasized balancing survivor feedback, insurance realities, and homeowner affordability.

Read at The Mercury News