Am I in the City or the County? San Diego Zone 0
Check your address — city or unincorporated is the fork
Enter your address to check it against the CAL FIRE fire hazard map. The same check also resolves city versus unincorporated, which is what decides which local Zone 0 story applies.
The first five feet is where prevention works
The Cedar Fire remains the most destructive fire in San Diego history: roughly 273,000 acres and more than 2,800 structures lost, with 15 lives. It stood as the largest wildfire California had ever recorded.
Four years later the Witch Creek Fire tore through the county's north inland corridor and took over a thousand homes more. In both fires, wind-driven embers, not the flame front, did most of the damage: igniting fences, mulch, and vegetation pressed against houses.
From the canyon rims inside city limits to the backcountry towns, if your parcel sits in a Very High zone, the first five feet is the highest-leverage place to act — whether the rule that applies is city, county, or simply existing defensible-space law.
Three labels, used the same way on every page
As of September 19, 2026 there is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force in California. Existing defensible-space law still applies. Local Zone 0, where a city or county has adopted it, is a separate story.
Existing law, plus local Zone 0 where adopted
PRC §4291 and Gov. Code §51182 already require you to keep roofs and gutters clear of leaves and needles. Unincorporated county Zone 0 has been required since April 13, 2023. City of San Diego new structures: February 28, 2026.
Statewide Zone 0
The Board of Forestry emergency filing was pulled back for review on September 8, 2026 (OAL file 2026-0828-03E, listed as withdrawn). There is no statewide effective date and no statewide phase-in clock.
Phased local program
Maintenance February 28, 2027 · vegetation February 28, 2028 · full compliance including fence replacement February 28, 2029. Source: City of San Diego Zone 0 Guidelines for Existing Structures, rev. April 22, 2026.
Harden the first five feet
Clear combustibles, choose non-combustible ground cover, and consider ember-resistant vents. That work is effective prevention whether or not a Zone 0 ordinance applies to your parcel.
City, county, or another city entirely
There is no single San Diego Zone 0 story. Inside city limits, San Diego Fire-Rescue runs a phased local program. In unincorporated county, the 2023 Consolidated Fire Code already requires a non-combustible first five feet. Poway, Escondido, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, San Marcos, El Cajon, and other incorporated cities keep their own fire authority — they do not inherit the county 2023 rule. Check the address; the checker already resolves city versus unincorporated.
San Diego Fire-Rescue
2023 Consolidated Fire Code
County guides, community by community
Dedicated guides for San Diego County's highest-risk communities are rolling out here (each covers its own AHJ, deadlines, and fire history):
Quick answers for San Diego homeowners
Am I in the City of San Diego or unincorporated county?
That is the first question, because the answer flips you between two different local stories. Inside city limits, San Diego Fire-Rescue runs a phased Zone 0 program (new structures February 28, 2026; maintenance February 28, 2027; vegetation February 28, 2028; full compliance including fence replacement February 28, 2029). In unincorporated county, a non-combustible Zone 0 has been required since April 13, 2023. Other incorporated cities keep their own fire authority and do not inherit the county rule. Check your address on this page.
Is Zone 0 a statewide law in California?
As of September 19, 2026 there is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force in California. The Board of Forestry emergency filing was pulled back for review. The state's own record lists OAL file 2026-0828-03E as withdrawn on September 8, 2026. Existing defensible-space law (PRC §4291 and Gov. Code §51182) still applies, including keeping roofs and gutters clear.
Do Poway, Escondido, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, San Marcos, or El Cajon follow the county Zone 0 rule?
No. Those incorporated cities keep their own Authority Having Jurisdiction and do not inherit unincorporated San Diego County's 2023 Zone 0 section. Confirm what, if anything, your city fire department requires locally.
Is this the same as the brush management rules I already follow?
No. Existing defensible-space rules cover a wider band around your home. Zone 0, where a local ordinance has adopted it, is the first five feet only, and it covers more than plants: mulch, fences, and stored items. Even where Zone 0 is not in force, clearing that five feet is still the most effective prevention step a homeowner can take.
Have a question about your property?
Send a request and the team will follow up by email. Prevention in the first five feet is effective, practical, and something you can start now.