Kindling at the Fire Station
- Cynthia
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The California Zone Zero fire safety rule for Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ),* as originally proposed, would have required homes and other buildings to create a defensible space by having no flammable materials within 5 feet. After opponents stalled the rule for years and against the advice of many fire safety scientists, the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection recently adopted a watered-down rule reducing the clear zone to only 1 foot with some plants allowed in the remaining area.
Residents in a VHFHSZ, like those on Pismo Beach hillsides, should nevertheless treat a fully nonflammable Zone Zero as the best practice for protecting their homes and neighborhoods. Many homeowners can readily clear a defensible space to reduce risk. The video below demonstrates the obvious safety benefits.
The city of Pismo Beach adopted FHSZs as Ord. O-2025-004 in 2025 and subsequently completed its new Public Safety Facility, housing the police and fire departments, in 2026. Given the facility sits partially in a VHFHSZ, and Zone Zero has been recommended with a rule under consideration for years, it's puzzling that the city chose to install bark mulch all around and against the building along with plants within a few feet. When the rule finally takes effect, existing buildings will have a few years to comply — meaning much of the then larger and more mature landscaping will have to be ripped out and replaced.
Meanwhile, all that mulch poses a hazard of ember-driven fire spread to nearby homes, the preschool across the street, and the rest of the neighborhood. The city need not wait for a Zone Zero requirement to address this. A public safety facility's landscaping shouldn't contradict its name; the city should create a defensible, protective space now.
The city should have seen this rule coming and proactively complied, but instead chose to kick the can down the road and react when it goes into effect, with all the expense and disruption that will entail. The city could have set a good example for residents by installing compliant landscaping at the start, with educational signs explaining its importance, but instead chose to model poor safety practices.
As mayor, I will push the city to plan proactively, better protect residents, and be fiscally responsible.
*To find your Fire Hazard Severity Zone, use this mapping tool.
