Is Zone 0 Required in Calabasas?
Is your Calabasas property in the Very High zone?
Enter your address to check it against the CAL FIRE statewide Fire Hazard Severity Zone map. For Los Angeles County properties, the county’s 2025 overlay takes precedence over the statewide map. A hazard-zone result is a map fact; it does not by itself create a Zone 0 requirement.
Calabasas has already watched embers do the damage
In November 2018 the Woolsey Fire crossed the 101 and burned straight through the Calabasas hills, forcing the evacuation of the entire city. Embers, not just the flame front, ignite homes: they land in mulch beds, wood fences, and dry plantings pressed against the house.
Two years earlier, the June 2016 fire above Old Topanga forced about 5,000 people out of their homes in a single weekend. Calabasas sits where the Santa Monica Mountains meet the Valley. The exposure is not theoretical.
Whether or not a Zone 0 rule ever applies to your parcel, the first five feet is the highest-leverage place to act. That is why we treat it as Recommended now, and why we keep it separate from what the law requires today.
What is required, what is proposed, what we recommend
Three labels, used the same way on every page: Required now · Proposed — not in force · Recommended now.
Existing defensible-space law
PRC §4291 and Government Code §51182 already require roofs and gutters to be kept clear of leaves and needles, and branches within 10 feet of a chimney outlet to be removed.
Statewide Zone 0
The Board of Forestry approved a final draft on August 19, 2026. OAL file 2026-0828-03E is listed as withdrawn as of September 8, 2026. There is no statewide effective date and no statewide phase-in clock.
No local Zone 0 ordinance identified
As of September 19, 2026 we have not identified a local Zone 0 ordinance for Calabasas. That is a finding of our review, not proof that none exists. Confirm with LA County Fire and the city.
Harden the first five feet
Clear combustibles, choose non-combustible ground cover, and consider ember-resistant vents. LA County Fire also recommends a 100-foot defensible-space radius.
LA County Fire is the fire authority for Calabasas
Calabasas contracts its fire services through the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County. The LA County Fire Department's Defensible Space program covers 60 incorporated cities plus unincorporated LA County, and its county page lists Calabasas.
That county page does not use Zone 0 as a requirement. It lists chimney clearance as required and a 100-foot defensible-space radius as a recommendation. Local alternatives to the statewide draft may be adopted in future, so check back with the city and the county fire authority.
Gated streets, canyon roads, and a neighbor with the same fire authority
Calabasas is a city of enclaves: gated streets and semi-rural canyon roads at the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains. Next door, Hidden Hills is a separate city that is also on the LA County Fire Defensible Space program list.
The common thread is vegetation meeting structures: ornamental hedges against stucco, wood gates tied into the house, bark mulch to the foundation line. The first five feet is where those details matter, and it is recommended work whether or not a Zone 0 rule applies. Our landscaping guide covers ground cover and plantings.
Quick answers for Calabasas homeowners
Is Zone 0 required in Calabasas?
As of September 19, 2026 we have not identified a local Zone 0 ordinance for Calabasas, and no statewide Zone 0 regulation is in force. The statewide Zone 0 draft is Proposed — not in force. Existing law still applies (Required now): PRC §4291 and Government Code §51182. Clearing the first 5 feet is Recommended now. Confirm with LA County Fire and the City of Calabasas before acting on any deadline.
Is Zone 0 a statewide law in California?
No, not as of September 19, 2026. There is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force in California. The Board of Forestry approved a final draft on August 19, 2026, but the state's own record lists OAL file 2026-0828-03E as withdrawn on September 8, 2026. AB 3074 directed the state to develop an ember-resistant zone; that direction is not a current statewide rule that homeowners must keep the first 5 feet clear. Existing defensible-space law (PRC §4291 and Government Code §51182) still applies, including keeping roofs and gutters clear of leaves and needles.
Who is the fire authority in Calabasas?
The Los Angeles County Fire Department. Calabasas contracts its fire services through the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County, and the county's Defensible Space program page lists Calabasas among its 60 incorporated cities plus unincorporated LA County.
Is Zone 0 the same as defensible space?
Not the same. LA County Fire's Defensible Space page lists chimney clearance as required and a 100-foot defensible-space radius as a recommendation. Zone 0 is a narrower idea: the first 5 feet around the structure, including mulch, fences, and stored items. Where no Zone 0 rule is in force, clearing that band is still Recommended now.
Does a gate or HOA change which rules apply?
No. Hazard maps follow terrain and fuel, not gates, and a gate or HOA does not change which fire authority or law applies. Many HOAs do review fence and landscaping changes, so check your HOA's rules before starting work.
Have a question about your first five feet?
Send a request and the team will follow up by email. Know where you stand, and which steps are required, proposed, or recommended.