What is the Zone 0 Ruling?
The Zone 0 ruling is the California Board of Forestry’s new statewide defensible-space regulation focused on the first 5 feet around an occupied structure. The intent is to reduce the combustible material that can allow wind-blown embers to ignite a home. California law required the Board to establish this ember-resistant zone.
The proposed requirements include:
- No combustible materials in the full 5 feet, including fallen leaves and needles, combustible mulch, wood chips, firewood, and stored wood.
- Roofs and gutters must be kept free of combustible debris.
- No firewood in Zone 0.
- Areas beneath decks, balconies, pergolas and stairs must be free of vegetation and combustible items.
- Existing trees are not automatically prohibited. They can remain, but dead wood and ladder fuels must be removed, and branches have specific clearance requirements.
- Live tree branches generally must be 10 feet from chimneys, 5 feet above roofs, and kept out from under eaves.
- No new trees may be planted in Zone 0 once the regulation becomes effective.
- A vegetation-free safety zone is proposed immediately adjacent to the building: generally at least 1 foot from the structure/eave edge, 2 feet from windows, doors and vents, and 5 feet around attached decks and similar features.
- Some non-woody plants, low ground covers and movable potted plants can remain outside those immediate safety buffers, subject to the rule’s conditions.
Read more about defensible space zones here.
Floriston Statistics
- The Truckee Fire Department has made only 7 Full-Access Inspections in town as of September 2026
- 0 homes in town have passed inspection!
What to Do Next
Step #1 – Start with the things embers reach first.
Embers are the leading cause of home ignition. As a “deep and steep” town with heavy winds, Floriston is at high risk of flying embers in the event of a nearby wildfire.
Steps to Make Your Zone 0 More Resistant to Embers
- Keep the area immediately next to the structure as ignition-resistant as possible.
- No combustible bark or mulch around the structure.
- Remove dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches and vegetative debris such as leaves, needles, cones and bark.
- Remove dry leaves and pine needles from roofs and gutters.
- Remove branches within 10 feet of chimneys, stovepipes and roofs.
- Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows.
- Move firewood and lumber to Zone 2; consider moving other combustible items such as garbage containers, boats, RVs and vehicles outside Zone 0.
Step #2 – Make access obvious.
Keep the address visible from the road and keep driveways and approach areas usable for emergency response vehicles.
Step #3 – Harden the Home, Not Just the Yard
Truckee Fire’s home-hardening program focuses on the parts of a structure that are vulnerable to embers, radiant heat and direct flame.
- Vents & openings: Review ember-resistance at vents and other openings. Truckee Fire specifically lists 1/8-inch metal mesh vent screens or smaller among eligible upgrade examples.
- Decks, fences & edges: Reduce combustible pathways into the home. Truckee Fire identifies low-elevation deck enclosure, noncombustible fencing/gates and hardscaping within 5 feet as rebate-eligible examples.
Step #4 – Get a property-specific plan.
Truckee Fire offers free defensible-space inspections and customized reports. The district also offers a free reflective address sign through an inspection or an in-person event.
- All town parcels have already received curbside inspections – contact the fire department if you do not have your code to access your report online.
- A full-access inspection is the best way to get a customized plan and qualify for rebate.
Schedule an inspection through October 15, 2026
Resources
2026 Curbside Pickup and Greenwaste Dumpsters
Cleanup only helps if the debris leaves the ignition zone. Truckee Fire’s current program offers free curbside pickup and 6-yard individual dumpster rebates for eligible woody vegetation, including woody shrubs, limbs and trunks up to 8 inches in diameter, 6 feet long or shorter.
The last day to request pickup is October 11, 2026.
Rebate and Assistance Programs
Truckee Fire currently offers a rebate covering up to 50% of eligible home-hardening project costs up to $2,000, a Dead Tree Fund, which can reimburse 50% of eligible dead-tree removal costs up to $2,000, plus other defensible-space assistance programs. A full-access inspection from the fire department is required before qualifying for these rebates.
Defensible Space Assistance Program
Evacuation
The Truckee Fire Department recommends that due to the logistical challenges of our roads, tunnels, and potential I-80 closure, residents of Floriston leave early in the “get set” evacuation zone when possible.
Always have a “go” bag and important documents altogether so they are easy to grab.