ZONE ZERO
Fire-Adapted Landscaping

Protecting Homes.
Preserving
Landscapes.

Create a safer perimeter without sacrificing the design, style, or character of your landscape.

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What Is Zone 0?

Zone 0 is the first 5 feet around your foundation. Wind-blown embers ignite houses by landing in dry fuel against exterior walls. Keeping this zone clear of combustible materials is the single most effective way to protect your home.

Does it apply to me?

Check if your home is in an official hazard zone using the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone Viewer.

Zone 0 · 0–5 ft Ember-resistant zone

Hardscape only. Nothing combustible against the house.

Zone 1 · 5–30 ft Lean. Green. Clean.

Low, well-spaced, well-watered plants with no ladder fuels.

Zone 2 · 30–100 ft Reduced fuel

Spaced shrubs, limbed-up trees, mowed grasses.

What To Do

Your First-5-Feet To-Do List

Start with the quick wins this weekend, then plan the upgrades.

15-Minute Weekend Fixes

DIY
Materials: Ember-Defense Starter → Materials: 5-Foot Retrofit →
Done with these? Get your official plan.

Structural Upgrades

Plan Ahead
Materials: 5-Foot Retrofit →
Done with these? Get your official plan.
0 of 7 complete — start with the first one.

A self-audit tool for homeowner reference, not a substitute for an official AB 3074 compliance inspection.

Get Your Free Photo Review
Free Detailed Photo Review

Not Sure What Needs to Change Around Your Home?

Send us a few details, plus photos of your home’s perimeter if you have them. We’ll deliver a personalized, plain-English action checklist within 48 hours — zero sales pressure, no obligation.

Property Photos Concerns

Where your 48-hr report will be sent.

So we can check your fire severity zone.

We’ll save your contact info so we can follow up.

East Bay based · Educational review · Confidential · Delivered within 48 hours

Gravel ground cover and a mesh-screened foundation vent along a home's non-combustible first five feet
Ember-Defense Kits

How Embers Turn Small Vulnerabilities Into Ignitions

A home doesn’t have to be touched by the main flame front to ignite. Wind can carry burning embers ahead of a wildfire, and they can enter an opening or land in dry material beside the house. Learn where they get in, then see the materials people commonly use to close those gaps.

The Practical Idea

Reduce the places where embers can enter, collect, or find something easy to ignite. Home hardening lowers risk; it does not eliminate it.

Vents Are Necessary Openings — And Possible Entry Paths

Attic, soffit, gable, and foundation vents release heat and moisture. The same openings can admit wind-driven embers. Torn screens, open edges, and coarse mesh increase the size of the path. Screening or a purpose-built vent can reduce ember intrusion, but any change must preserve the ventilation the building needs.

Why Guidance Points to 1/8-Inch Metal Mesh

Wildfire-preparedness guidance commonly specifies noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh with openings from 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch. A 1/8-inch screen is finer than common 1/4-inch utility screening, so it can intercept smaller embers while serving as a retrofit screen. It does not stop every ember — embers vary in size, mesh can clog or corrode, and screening does not stop radiant heat or direct flame. Check fit, condition, and required net free ventilation before installation.

The First Five Feet Interrupt the Fuel Path

The area from the structure out to five feet is often called the immediate or noncombustible zone. The goal isn’t simply to spread gravel — it’s to keep embers from finding receptive fuel against walls, under windows, at deck edges, or beside vents. Noncombustible ground cover can help when dry vegetation, wood mulch, leaves, stored items, combustible fencing, and other burnable material are also removed or separated. Maintenance matters, since leaves and needles can collect on top of rock.

A Simple Property Self-Assessment

  • Start at the roofline: look for leaves and needles in gutters, roof valleys, and wall-to-roof intersections. Note damaged covers, open tile ends, and visible gaps.
  • Map every vent: photograph attic, soffit, gable, crawl-space, and foundation vents. Record dimensions, screen condition, opening size if known, and nearby combustible material.
  • Walk the exterior envelope: look at eaves, siding transitions, utility penetrations, windows, doors, and the garage-door edge for gaps or accumulated debris.
  • Measure five feet out: mark a five-foot band around the house and attached decks. Note wood mulch, dry plants, doormats, furniture, stored items, fencing, leaves, and anything else that can burn.
  • Look beneath and between: check under decks and stairs, in corners, beside planters, and where fencing or other structures connect to the house.

Photos can reveal visible priorities. They can’t confirm hidden construction, code compliance, airflow, or whether a roof or vent assembly is safe to alter. A free Photo Review can help with the visible part.

Learn First, Then Match Materials to the Scope

01

Photograph and Measure

Use the checklist to document vents, gutters, roof edges, exterior gaps, and the first five feet. Include a ruler or tape measure where dimensions matter.

02

Build a Priority List

Identify visible places where embers could enter or where dry material could ignite. Separate routine cleaning, focused DIY work, and jobs that may need a qualified contractor.

03

Compare Common Materials

Review the kits below as examples of what people use for different scopes. Confirm dimensions, airflow, compatibility, and quantities before choosing anything.

A material list should follow the property assessment — not replace it. A kit is useful only when its components, dimensions, and quantities match the actual work.

Soffit vent retrofitted with fine metal mesh screening
Ember-Defense Starter

A Small, Well-Defined First Project

Materials often used for compatible soffit openings, small screening tasks, gutter-debris control, and a defined edge. A starting point, not a whole-home solution.

What’s Inside

  • 2 × Master Flow 16.5 × 1.5-inch soffit vents with ember-resistant screens, for compatible soffit openings
  • 1 × Jackson Wire 1/8-inch mesh roll, 36 in × 10 ft — within the commonly recommended 1/16–1/8-inch range for metal vent screening; fit and required airflow must be checked
  • 1 × Frost King mesh gutter guard, 6 in × 20 ft, to help keep dry leaves and needles out of gutters and reduce fuel near the roofline
  • Metal landscape edging — final size and specification confirmed before the order
  • Illustrated installation guide

Who It’s For

A homeowner whose assessment identifies a few compatible openings and a modest gutter section. Confirm vent type, dimensions, airflow, and safe access before treating this as a DIY project.

Pricing coming soon

See Whether These Materials Fit
Non-combustible gravel ground cover against a foundation with a mesh-screened vent
5-Foot Retrofit

A Broader First-Five-Feet Retrofit

Combines vent, mesh, gutter, ground-cover, and edging materials for a project with several visible priorities. The five-foot zone still depends on removing combustible items and maintaining the area after installation.

What’s Inside

  • 2 × Embers Out steel foundation vents, marketed for ember resistance, for compatible foundation openings
  • 1 × Jackson Wire 1/8-inch mesh roll, 48 in × 10 ft — within the commonly recommended 1/16–1/8-inch range for metal vent screening; fit and required airflow must be checked
  • 1 × WATERLOCK aluminum and stainless gutter guard, 5 in × 28 ft, to help keep dry leaves and needles out of gutters and reduce fuel near the roofline
  • Non-combustible ground cover — final material and quantity confirmed from the project scope
  • Metal landscape edging — final length and specification confirmed before the order

Who It’s For

A property where the assessment shows several related tasks near the structure. Ground-cover type, depth, drainage, edging, quantities, and vent compatibility must be defined before ordering.

Pricing coming soon

Explore the 5-Foot Materials
Bulk stainless steel wire mesh roll with gable vent retrofits and fasteners
Contractor Pro Pack

For Work That Repeats Across Projects

Groups bulk screening, compatible vent retrofits, gutter-debris-control materials, fasteners, and flashing for repeated work. Assumes professional scoping, installation judgment, and job-specific verification.

What’s Inside

  • 1 × Jackson Wire 1/8-inch mesh bulk roll, 24 in × 100 ft — within the commonly recommended 1/16–1/8-inch range for metal vent screening; fit and required airflow must be checked
  • 4 × Embers Out 12 × 12-inch gable vent retrofits, marketed for ember resistance, for compatible openings
  • 1 × SKYSHALO aluminum gutter guard package, 104 ft total, to help keep dry leaves and needles out of gutters and reduce fuel near the roofline
  • Fasteners and flashing — final types and quantities confirmed before the order

Who It’s For

Contractors completing multiple home-hardening jobs. Product compatibility, detailing, fastener selection, flashing, ventilation, and site safety remain the installer’s responsibility.

Pricing coming soon

Review the Pro Materials
Research-Informed Plain-Language Property-Specific No Scare Tactics

We explain what each material is meant to do, where its limits are, and what must be confirmed before use. A photo review is educational guidance, not an official inspection or a promise of protection.

Questions to Understand Before Choosing Materials

How can an ember ignite a home?
An ember can enter an opening and ignite material inside, or land in dry leaves, wood mulch, a doormat, furniture, or another receptive fuel beside the structure. That small fire can then spread. Direct flame and radiant heat are also wildfire exposures, so ember work is one part of a broader strategy.
Why are vents a concern?
Vents are intentional openings that manage heat and moisture in attics and underfloor spaces. Wind-driven embers can use those same pathways. Screening or a purpose-built vent can reduce intrusion, but the assembly still needs adequate airflow and correct installation.
Why 1/8-inch mesh?
Wildfire guidance commonly calls for noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh with openings from 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch. A 1/8-inch screen reduces opening size compared with common 1/4-inch utility mesh. It does not stop every ember, and finer screening can affect airflow or clog, so verify ventilation requirements and maintain the screen.
What does the five-foot zone actually do?
It reduces the chance that an ember will ignite something immediately beside the structure and create flame or heat against the wall, window, vent, deck, or eave. Gravel, rock, decomposed granite, pavers, and concrete can be useful ground surfaces, but only as part of a zone kept free of dry debris and other combustible material.
Are these kits required by law?
No. These are optional examples of materials used for home-hardening and defensible-space work. Local requirements vary. Check with the appropriate local authority before work that may require permits or must meet specific rules.
Which materials fit my property?
Start with observations and measurements. Vent type, dimensions, required airflow, gutter size and length, drainage, ground-cover depth, access, and installation conditions all affect the answer. A photo review can organize visible priorities but cannot verify hidden construction.
Can I install the materials myself?
Cleaning and some small screening or edging tasks may suit an experienced homeowner. Roofline, vent, flashing, foundation, ladder, and drainage work may need a qualified contractor. Do not alter ventilation or a building assembly without understanding the consequences.
Do these materials eliminate wildfire risk?
No. They are used to reduce specific vulnerabilities. Mesh does not stop all embers, heat, or flame. Gutter guards still need cleaning. Noncombustible ground cover can collect burnable debris. Even products marketed as ember-resistant need correct fit and installation.
How do pricing and delivery work?
Pricing is coming soon on all kits until supplier costs, fit, quantities, packaging, and delivery are confirmed. Ground-cover material and delivery depend heavily on project area, depth, access, and local sourcing.

Start With an Assessment, Not a Shopping Cart

Walk the property, photograph the visible conditions, and measure the areas that may need work. Then use this guide to compare common materials — or ask for help turning the observations into a practical priority list.

Use the Photo Checklist Explore Material Options

Already have a First-5-Feet To-Do List checked off? Use it as the scope — reach out and we can help match the listed tasks to compatible material options and identify what still needs to be measured.

Our Approach

Three principles guide every design and maintenance decision, from the first 5 feet outward.

Lean

Create breathing room between plants so your landscape is safer and easier to maintain.

Green

Choose and care for plants that stay healthy, resilient, and appropriate for your property.

Clean

Keep the area around your home free of dry leaves, dead material, and other ember-catching debris.

Landscaping, Hardscaping & Design

Planting With Purpose

Fire safety and a beautiful property aren't in conflict. Here's how planting, materials, and design work together.

Design Guidance, Not a Plant List

A fire-adapted landscape should do more than reduce fuel. It should create structure, color, texture, and continuity across the property. These reliable plant choices show how placement, spacing, maintenance, and design can work together to create a landscape that is both beautiful and better adapted to wildfire.

Structural Anchors

Give the landscape shape and backbone. Manzanita 'Dr. Hurd' sheds embers off its smooth bark and needs excellent drainage, avoiding summer irrigation once established. Toyon plays the same role at a larger scale — broad, moist leaves that tend to resist ignition better than many chaparral shrubs, spaced at least 10 ft apart in individual stands.

Pollinator Accents

Bring color and pollinator activity to the landscape. California Buckwheat is fine-textured and tightly packed, a standard choice in defensible-space plantings. California Lilac 'Concha' adds spring blue blooms with dense, moisture-rich foliage when properly spaced.

Groundcovers & Spillers

Soften edges, borders, and containers while keeping planting intentional around the home. Canyon Live-Forever is a compact, moisture-rich succulent well suited to containers. Common Yarrow works as a low-water lawn substitute — mowing it flat helps keep fuel volume low and foliage moisture relatively high.

Native Integration

Tie designed planting into the surrounding landscape. California Sagebrush is fine and aromatic, kept well-spaced from neighboring shrubs. Coast Live Oak, pruned to clear ladder fuel beneath it, brings thick, moist bark.

California Native vs. Traditional Landscaping

California Native Traditional Non-Native
Minimal water (relies on rainfall) High water (frequent irrigation)
Low maintenance (less pruning/fertilizer) High maintenance (weekly labor & expense)
High wildlife value (attracts pollinators) Low wildlife value
Hardscape

Non-Combustible Transitions

Stone, concrete, pavers, gravel, and decomposed granite (DG) create fuel breaks that read as intentional design — not a bare perimeter.

Design

Compliance That Looks Intentional

Pairing architectural stone with drought-tolerant planting keeps a property's character — the goal is a designed landscape, not a stripped one.

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Visual Proof

Problem → Better Approach

Hover, tap, or focus each card to see a common Zone 0 problem next to a fire-adapted alternative.

Italian Cypress foliage Continuous Planting — Fire Hazard
Toyon shrub with red berries Separated Planting — Fire-Adapted

Tap or Hover

Italian Cypress Toyon

Wood bark mulch ground cover Organic Material Near Home
Agave on decomposed granite ground cover Non-Combustible Transition

Tap or Hover

Wood Bark DG & Agave

Potted rosemary shrub Rosemary — Oil-Rich Hazard
Gray-leaved white sage shrub White Sage — Fire-Adapted

Tap or Hover

Rosemary White Sage

Dense juniper shrub with berries Juniper — Ember-Catching
Manzanita branch with smooth red bark Manzanita — Fire-Adapted

Tap or Hover

Juniper Manzanita

Resources

Reference Material

Official sources and answers to common questions — everything short of an on-site visit.

FAQ & Official Resources

Regulatory status last verified September 22, 2026

Is Zone 0 final yet? When do these rules take effect?
Not yet. On August 19, 2026, the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection voted unanimously to approve final Zone 0 regulations — the first statewide ember-resistant-zone rule in the country. The package was submitted to the state Office of Administrative Law on August 28, 2026 as emergency rulemaking, but it was withdrawn from OAL review on September 8, 2026 before taking effect. There is currently no statewide effective date and no Zone 0 compliance clock running. Existing fire-safety, brush-clearance, and vegetation-management requirements still apply in the meantime. We'll update this page as soon as the rule is resubmitted or takes effect.
What's the compliance timeline for existing homes?
There's no active deadline right now — as covered in the previous question, the final rule was withdrawn from state review before taking effect, so no statewide compliance clock is running yet. Once it does take effect, reporting on the rule describes two phases from that date: within roughly 3 years, clear the first 5 ft of firewood, dead leaves and branches, bark mulch, and wood chips, keep gutters and roofs clear, and finish any overdue tree work; within roughly 5 years, create vegetation-free buffers under eaves, windows, and vents, replace combustible fence and gate sections where they attach to the house, and address sheds and other attached combustible structures. Enforcement is expected to be education-first in the early years — the goal is measurable progress, not a single hard deadline. Existing fire-safety and vegetation-management requirements still apply regardless. Our First-5-Feet To-Do List walks through these same items in order, and a free Photo Review can show you where your property stands today, regardless of the regulatory timeline.
What is Assembly Bill 3074 (AB 3074)?
AB 3074 requires the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish regulations for an ember-resistant zone (Zone 0) within 0 to 5 feet of structures in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ).
Are bark and wood mulch allowed in Zone 0?
No. Organic mulches such as wood chips, bark, and pine needles ignite easily when struck by windborne embers. They must be replaced with non-combustible materials like gravel, decomposed granite (DG), pavers, or bare earth.

Want this for your property? Start your free photo review →

Do I have to remove all plants from the 5-foot perimeter?
Not necessarily. While minimizing plants directly adjacent to walls is recommended, low-growing, high-moisture specimens planted selectively with non-combustible groundcover separation are allowed depending on local fire authority enforcement.

Want this for your property? Start your free photo review →

Ember-Defense Kits

How can an ember ignite a home?
An ember can enter an opening and ignite material inside, or land in dry leaves, wood mulch, a doormat, furniture, or another receptive fuel beside the structure. That small fire can then spread. Direct flame and radiant heat are also wildfire exposures, so ember work is one part of a broader strategy.
Why are vents a concern?
Vents are intentional openings that manage heat and moisture in attics and underfloor spaces. Wind-driven embers can use those same pathways. Screening or a purpose-built vent can reduce intrusion, but the assembly still needs adequate airflow and correct installation.
Why 1/8-inch mesh?
Wildfire guidance commonly calls for noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh with openings from 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch. A 1/8-inch screen reduces opening size compared with common 1/4-inch utility mesh. It does not stop every ember, and finer screening can affect airflow or clog, so verify ventilation requirements and maintain the screen.
What does the five-foot zone actually do?
It reduces the chance that an ember will ignite something immediately beside the structure and create flame or heat against the wall, window, vent, deck, or eave. Gravel, rock, decomposed granite, pavers, and concrete can be useful ground surfaces, but only as part of a zone kept free of dry debris and other combustible material.
Are the Ember-Defense Kits required by law?
No. These are optional examples of materials used for home-hardening and defensible-space work. Local requirements vary. Check with the appropriate local authority before work that may require permits or must meet specific rules.
Which materials fit my property?
Start with observations and measurements. Vent type, dimensions, required airflow, gutter size and length, drainage, ground-cover depth, access, and installation conditions all affect the answer. A photo review can organize visible priorities but cannot verify hidden construction.
Can I install the materials myself?
Cleaning and some small screening or edging tasks may suit an experienced homeowner. Roofline, vent, flashing, foundation, ladder, and drainage work may need a qualified contractor. Do not alter ventilation or a building assembly without understanding the consequences.
Do these materials eliminate wildfire risk?
No. They are used to reduce specific vulnerabilities. Mesh does not stop all embers, heat, or flame. Gutter guards still need cleaning. Noncombustible ground cover can collect burnable debris. Even products marketed as ember-resistant need correct fit and installation.
How do pricing and delivery work?
Pricing is coming soon on all kits until supplier costs, fit, quantities, packaging, and delivery are confirmed. Ground-cover material and delivery depend heavily on project area, depth, access, and local sourcing.

See the Ember-Defense Kits →

Official AB 3074 Text

The legislation itself, via California Legislative Information. The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved final implementing regulations on August 19, 2026; the package was later withdrawn from Office of Administrative Law review on September 8, 2026 before taking effect, so there is currently no statewide effective date.
How We Help

From Assessment to Ongoing Care

01

Assess

Photo review to identify what needs attention.

02

Design

A plan that balances Zone 0 requirements with how the property looks and functions.

03

Landscape

Fire-adapted planting selected and placed by zone.

04

Hardscape

Non-combustible materials where they're needed most.

DIY option: 5-Foot Retrofit →
05

Maintain

Ongoing lean/green/clean upkeep to keep the work effective.

Contact

Contact Us

Questions about Zone 0 clearance, pricing, or your property? Send us a message and we'll get back to you within one business day.

Or call (510) 394-2590.

Want a plan for your property instead?

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