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Laguna Beach officials outline new "Zone 0" rules, insurance options and neighborhood mitigation steps
Summary
City fire staff and insurance officials told residents that upcoming state "Zone 0" defensible-space rules will require hardscape 0–5 feet from structures, that mitigation (including Firewise communities) can improve insurability, and that Cal OES/Cal Fire grants and local programs are available to help pay for work.
Laguna Beach fire officials and state insurance representatives briefed residents on new defensible-space rules, wildfire mitigation steps and insurance availability during a city meeting that focused on what homeowners must do now and if they can get coverage in coming years.
City staff and the Laguna Beach fire chief told attendees that the forthcoming "Zone 0" standard will change what vegetation is allowed directly adjacent to homes. "From 0 to 5 feet, hardscape only," the fire chief said, adding that wood chips or similar materials would not be permitted under the new Zone 0 standard. City staff said homeowners currently have some allowances under existing defensible-space rules, but those will be tightened when the state rule is implemented.
The changes matter because insurance companies evaluate risk at an area level even when an individual home uses mitigation. A Palisades fire survivor who spoke at the meeting said her house survived because of exterior sprinklers, but that her insurer (USAA) told her they evaluate the whole area, not individual houses. A representative from the California…
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