Zone Zero Requirements in Brentwood
Brentwood has burned twice in six years. Embers did the work.
The Getty Fire started along the 405 near Getty Center Drive at about 1:30 in the morning on October 28, 2019: a broken tree branch hit a power line and the wind carried fire into the Brentwood hillsides. It burned 745 acres, destroyed 10 homes, damaged 15 more, and forced thousands out of the canyons between Sunset and Mulholland.
Then in January 2025, the Palisades Fire's eastern flare-up pushed over the ridge into Mandeville Canyon. Evacuation orders reached deep into Brentwood west of the 405.
In both fires, wind-blown embers ran ahead of the flame front and landed in the first five feet: mulch beds, wood gates, dry plantings against siding. That five feet is what Zone Zero regulates.
Read Brentwood's fire historyWhat Zone 0 requires, and when
Requirements arrive in phases. Rebuilds and new construction comply from day one.
Clear the five feet
Mulch, dead plants, firewood, stored items: all of it leaves the 0-5 ft zone. Estimated deadline 2027-2028.
Replace what burns
Combustible fences, gates, and attached decks in the zone get replaced. The City of Los Angeles sets the deadline, up to 5 years after adoption.
New fences & rebuilds
No new combustible fences in Zone Zero once regulations adopt. Fire rebuilds meet Zone Zero from day one, with no grace period.
Harden vents now
Ember-resistant vents are the highest-value upgrade you can make today. No deadline needed.
LAFD enforces Zone Zero in Brentwood
Brentwood is inside City of Los Angeles limits, so the Los Angeles Fire Department is the Authority Having Jurisdiction. The LAFD Brush Clearance Unit already inspects Very High FHSZ parcels every year starting in May, and the hillside streets off Mandeville Canyon Road, Sullivan Canyon, Kenter Canyon, and Tigertail are exactly the parcels it inspects. Zone Zero layers onto that program.
Enforcement is education-first, per the April 2026 Board of Forestry draft. But Zone 0 is stricter than brush clearance: it covers everything in the first five feet, not just vegetation.
The canyons are why the rule matters here
Brentwood is really two neighborhoods. The flats around San Vicente and its coral trees, and the canyons that climb toward Mulholland. The canyons are where both recent fires went, and where a single winding road often serves hundreds of homes.
When evacuation is slow and engine access is tight, a home's first five feet is often the difference between an ember landing on decomposed granite and an ember landing in bark mulch under a wood gate.
Community groups here take this seriously: the Brentwood Community Council maintains neighborhood safety resources, and the Brentwood Homeowners Association publishes fire safety information for the hillside streets. Zone Zero gives that preparedness culture the force of law.
Quick answers for Brentwood homeowners
Is Brentwood actually in a fire hazard zone?
Much of it, yes. Brentwood's hillside and canyon areas, including Mandeville Canyon, Sullivan Canyon, and Kenter Canyon, sit in LAFD's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The flats near San Vicente are a parcel-by-parcel question: check the maps, not intuition.
Is Zone Zero the same as LAFD brush clearance?
No. Brush clearance covers vegetation out to 200 feet and LAFD already inspects Brentwood's hillside parcels for it every year. Zone Zero covers everything in the first 5 feet: fences, mulch, and stored items. It is stricter.
The Getty Fire missed my street. Why should I act now?
The Getty Fire destroyed 10 homes and was a fraction of the size of the January 2025 Palisades Fire, whose eastern edge still pushed into Mandeville Canyon. Brentwood's canyons have burned twice in six years. The rules exist because the next fire will not schedule itself around a deadline.
When does enforcement actually start?
Final regulations are expected late 2026. New-fence and rebuild rules apply immediately at adoption; Phase 1 clearing follows, estimated 2027-2028. Phase 2 timing is set by the City of Los Angeles, up to 5 years after adoption.
Find out exactly what your home needs
Free assessment from a CSLB-licensed local contractor. Know where you stand before the deadlines do.