State approves Zone Zero fire rules for hazardous places like Malibu Play

Malibu landowners will have about 3-1/2 years to remove all plants within one foot of their homes, and five years to remove all burnable objects from within five feet of their homes.

Those are the terms of modified Zone Zero rules approved by the state Board of Forestry Tuesday.

Malibu has been looking at setting even stronger rules, but members of the city Public Safety Commission wanted to see what would come out of the rule-making session.

The Zone Zero rules affect any occupied structure in any "very high fire hazard zone." All of Malibu is in that zone.

People will have up to five years to bring existing houses and businesses into compliance. Under the new rules, the first five feet around homes will have to be free of anything that can burn: firewood, wooden fences, and wooden sheds included.

That has to be done within three years after the Zone Zero rule is published, which will probably happen in February.

New construction must comply immediately.

The rules have been watered down. The Forestry Board will not require the removal of trees, although tree limbs would need to be trimmed away from roofs and chimneys.

Fallen leaves and branches, mulch and wood chips are also now prohibited within five feet of homes.

Houses that comply with Zone Zero and comprehensive home hardening had a survival rate of 48 percent in the major brush fires that hit California between 2017 and 2020. Houses where no precautions had been taken had a 20 percent survival rate.

The new Zone Zero rules were opposed by a representative from L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades. She said "compliance will cost homeowners thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for hardscaping, fence replacement and steep hillside erosion control."

"But," she said, there would be "zero funding provided for homeowners or local fire departments tasked with education and enforcement." Those were the words of Sarah Flaherty, a representative for Park, as quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

Berkeley and San Diego have already adopted local fire ordinances that are stricter than the state rules.