Zone Zero Regulations in Glendale
Glendale enforces its own fire code. The state sets the floor.
Glendale is a Local Responsibility Area. The city runs its own municipal fire department, adopts the California Fire Code with its own Glendale amendments, and reviewed and adopted the 2025 CAL FIRE hazard maps itself, by unanimous City Council vote on July 29, 2025.
That matters because the Zone 0 statutes are a statewide floor. The specifics that reach your parcel come from GFD: which maps apply, when inspections happen, and how the Phase 2 schedule is set. Glendale's Fire Marshal already has authority to require defensible space beyond the state's 100 foot standard, up to 200 feet, where conditions warrant.
The three statutes behind Zone 0
| Law | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| AB 3074 | 2020 | Creates the ember-resistant zone: the first 5 feet from any structure in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone must be kept free of combustible material. Uses the statutory term "ember-resistant zone." |
| SB 504 | 2024 | Refines the framework and extends requirements, directing the Board of Forestry to complete the detailed Zone 0 regulations and phasing. |
| AB 1455 | 2025 | Adjusts the rulemaking timeline. The Board of Forestry released its most current draft on April 17, 2026; final regulations are expected late 2026. |
The April 17, 2026 draft is the most current text. Under it, new-construction and combustible-fence restrictions take effect immediately at adoption, existing homes get a phased schedule, and enforcement begins education-first: notices and correction periods before penalties.
What lands in the Zone 0 rules
Combustible material out
Bark mulch, dead and dying vegetation, firewood stacks, lumber, and stored combustibles leave the 0-5 ft band. Estimated 2027-2028 for existing homes.
Built items replaced
Combustible fences, gates, arbors, and attached structures within the zone are replaced with noncombustible alternatives. The City of Glendale sets this schedule, up to 5 years after adoption.
New construction & new fences
Once the regulations adopt, new combustible fencing may not be installed in Zone 0, and rebuilds and new homes comply from day one.
Ahead of the rules
Ember-resistant vents, clean gutters, and noncombustible ground cover in the first five feet are worth doing now, whatever the final text says.
Common questions about the rules
Is Zone 0 law in Glendale right now?
The statutes are law, but the detailed regulations are still being finalized. The Board of Forestry's April 17, 2026 draft is the most current text, and final regulations are expected late 2026. Glendale Fire Department will apply them locally once adopted.
Does Glendale have stricter rules than the state?
In some respects it already does. Glendale enforces the California Fire Code with its own local amendments, and its Vegetation Management Program can require defensible space up to 200 feet, double the state's standard 100 feet, where the Fire Marshal determines conditions warrant it.
Which Glendale properties do the Zone 0 rules cover?
Properties in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone under the maps the City Council adopted on July 29, 2025. That covers 16,383 Glendale homes, concentrated near the Verdugo Mountains, the San Rafael Hills, and Chevy Chase Canyon. SB 504 also extends requirements to certain High zone parcels over time.
Not sure which rules hit your parcel?
A free assessment checks your zone status and maps every requirement to your specific property.