Home / Regulations
What Is In ForceWhich Zone 0 Rules Apply in Agoura Hills?
What is in force, in order
Existing law (in force). PRC §4291 and Gov. Code §51182 call for roofs and gutters to be kept clear of leaves and needles, and for branches within 10 feet of a chimney outlet to be removed.
AB 3074 (2020). Directed the state to create an ember-resistant zone. It is not a current statewide rule to keep the first five feet clear.
Board of Forestry draft, approved August 19, 2026. The emergency filing (OAL file 2026-0828-03E) was pulled back; the state's own record lists it as withdrawn on September 8, 2026. The draft has no effective date.
City of Agoura Hills. The city's own page says: "While not yet legally required, Zone 0 is currently under consideration through the legislative process and is recommended as a best practice when possible." We have not identified a local Zone 0 ordinance as of September 19, 2026. Source: City of Agoura Hills: Preparing for Emergencies.
Existing defensible-space law
Roofs and gutters clear of leaves and needles; branches within 10 feet of a chimney outlet removed. No Zone 0-specific local rule identified for Agoura Hills.
Statewide Zone 0 draft
Approved as a draft on August 19, 2026; emergency filing pulled back. No statewide effective date and no phase-in clock exist.
Clear and harden the first five feet
Remove combustible mulch, dead vegetation, and stored items from the first five feet, and consider ember-resistant vents. The city calls Zone 0 a best practice when possible.
Who the rules come from in Agoura Hills
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is Agoura Hills' fire authority. The county's Defensible Space program covers the city, along with 60 incorporated cities and unincorporated LA County. That page lists chimney clearance as required and a 100-foot defensible-space radius as a recommendation; it does not use Zone 0 as a requirement.
Hazard maps are a separate question. Agoura Hills' Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone territory expanded in the March 2025 CAL FIRE remap, and the city publishes the current zone viewer on its website. Being mapped Very High is worth knowing for planning, but on its own it does not create a Zone 0 requirement today.
The city also maintains a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Local alternatives to a statewide rule could be adopted later; we have not identified one. Confirm with LA County Fire and the city before acting on any deadline.
Regulation questions, answered
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 approved a draft on August 19, 2026, but the emergency filing was pulled back for review. The state's own record lists OAL file 2026-0828-03E as withdrawn on September 8, 2026. AB 3074 directed the state to create an ember-resistant zone; it is not a current statewide rule to keep the first five feet clear. Existing defensible-space law (PRC §4291 and Gov. Code §51182) still applies, including keeping roofs and gutters clear of leaves and needles.
Is Zone 0 required in Agoura Hills?
Not as a law we have identified. The City of Agoura Hills' own page says Zone 0 is "not yet legally required" and is "recommended as a best practice when possible." As of September 19, 2026 we have not identified a local Zone 0 ordinance for Agoura Hills. That is not the same as saying no rule exists: confirm with LA County Fire and the city before acting on any deadline.
Which law created the ember-resistant zone?
AB 3074, signed in 2020, directed the state to create an ember-resistant zone. The regulation that would carry it out has not taken effect: as of September 19, 2026 it is Proposed — not in force.
Does the state or LA County write the rules I have to follow?
Today, existing state defensible-space law applies, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department is the fire authority that runs the defensible space program covering Agoura Hills. A statewide Zone 0 rule would come from the state if it ever takes effect, and a city could adopt its own. As of September 19, 2026 we have not identified either for Agoura Hills.
Not sure what applies to your parcel?
Send a request and the team will follow up by email about your zone status.