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The ember-resistant zone rewrites the first 5 feet of your yard. In a county where half the roster lives under pines, the honest version of the tree question matters most.
The redesign
Out: bark and wood-chip mulch, juniper and other resinous shrubs, climbing vines on walls, plantings under eaves and vents, and the needle litter that drifts against mountain foundations every wind event.
In: gravel and decomposed granite, pavers and stone, low succulents in noncombustible beds where your authority allows plantings, and clean hardscape paths that double as access. On cabin lots the gravel ring earns its keep twice, as ember defense and as drainage.
On trees, honestly: homeowners across the state pushed back on early drafts precisely because mature trees provide needed shade and, in the mountains, are the entire point of living there. The state responded. The current draft is more permissive than the headlines suggested, and local rules may allow well-maintained trees near the home. Do not preemptively remove a healthy tree; verify with your fire authority first.
Beyond five feet
On mountain lots and along the valley's foothill edges, Zone 0 is only the innermost ring: Zones 1 and 2 (5 to 30 and 30 to 100 feet) still govern the broader property. The free assessment covers all three zones, so wildland-edge homeowners see the full picture, not just the first five feet.
Questions
In most cases, no. The April 2026 draft scaled back blanket vegetation restrictions after widespread public concern about mature trees and shade, and local rules may allow well-maintained trees. In forested mountain communities this matters enormously: what Zone 0 clearly targets is combustible ground cover and shrubs in the first 5 feet, not the forest itself. Verify specifics with your own fire authority before removing anything.
Noncombustible ground cover: gravel, decomposed granite, pavers, stone, and concrete. On mountain lots, a gravel apron doubles as snow-country drainage; in the valley, decomposed granite reads as intentional desert-adjacent landscaping.
Needle litter is exactly the kind of fine fuel Zone 0 exists to keep out of the first five feet. In the mountain communities, raking the ring after wind events is the cheapest recurring compliance habit there is, and gutters count too.
A free assessment tells you exactly which Zone Zero requirements apply to your parcel, what your local fire authority will look for, and what to fix first. 100% free, no obligation.
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