Zone Zero Fence Rules in Glendale
A wood fence is a fuse that ends at your siding
Embers do not need to reach your house. They only need to reach anything connected to your house. A dry wood fence catches an ember, the fire walks the boards, and it arrives at the structure with a running start.
Glendale has seen the pathway in action. In the March 1964 fires, gusts near hurricane strength lofted embers hundreds of yards past the fire front, igniting properties below the Verdugos and in Chevy Chase Canyon while the flames were still on the hillsides.
What Zone 0 requires for fences, by timeline
New fences
At adoption, no new combustible fencing within 5 feet of a structure in the Very High zone. Applies to replacements and new installs alike.
Existing fences
Existing combustible fences and gates in the zone get a replacement schedule set by the City of Glendale, up to 5 years after adoption.
Smart transition
Keep the wood run, swap the last section for steel, masonry, or a noncombustible gate. Most Glendale properties need a transition, not a teardown.
Fence questions Glendale homeowners ask
Do I have to tear out my wood fence in Glendale?
Not today, and not all of it. Only the portion within 5 feet of a structure is regulated. Existing fences get a Phase 2 schedule that the City of Glendale sets, up to 5 years after the final regulations adopt. New combustible fences in the zone are restricted immediately at adoption.
Why are fences singled out under Zone 0?
A wood fence attached to a house is a fuse. Embers ignite the fence line, and the fire walks the boards straight to the siding. In Glendale's 1964 fires, wind-blown embers ignited homes far from the fire front, which is exactly the pathway the rule targets.
What can replace a wood fence in the first 5 feet?
Common noncombustible options are steel, aluminum, wrought iron, masonry, and blocked or gated transitions where a wood fence continues outside the 5 foot band. Many Glendale hillside homes only need the last section swapped, not the whole run.
Get your fence line assessed for free
A CSLB-licensed contractor measures what is actually in your 5 foot zone and quotes only what the rules require.