Fire chief outlines draft 'Zone 0' rules, timelines; residents urge local advocacy and rebates

Glendale Fire Chief Jeff Brooks told a neighborhood meeting Oct. 14 that state bills AB3074 and SB504 have prompted draft regulations creating a new “Zone 0” defensible space inside the very‑high fire hazard severity area and that the city — as a local responsibility area — will be responsible for enforcement once the state issues a compliance guidance document.

“Zone 0 is really if you took this wall over here and you came out for the first 5 feet from that wall on the side of your house to that first 5 feet out is considered zone 0,” Chief Brooks said, using the meeting room to illustrate the area likely to be regulated. He described draft restrictions and exceptions now under discussion and said the Board of Forestry must complete an oversight committee’s work by Dec. 31, 2025, and publish formal guidance before any enforcement can begin.

What’s in the draft: Brooks summarized commonly discussed elements in the draft rule. Landscape materials likely to ignite from embers — such as mulch and wood chips — would not be allowed within Zone 0. Potted plants would be allowed if vegetation does not extend more than 18 inches above the pot rim. Trees could remain in Zone 0 but must be maintained so there are no dead or dying branches and lower branches are pruned to prevent fire climbing into the canopy. The draft specifies no tree branches should be within 5…