Berkeley city council advances defensible space ordinance
During a wind-driven fire event, embers blowing ahead of the main fire can start new fires. This ordinance aims to keep additional homes from catching fire.
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This week, the Berkeley City Council advanced a measure known as 'Zone 0,' a new ordinance that would require some property owners to clear all flammable material five feet away from their homes. That could include trees, shrubs, grass, plastics, vehicles — basically, anything that could catch fire.
That 5-foot defensible space will make a difference, officials say.
Collin Arnold is an interim assistant chief with the Berkeley Fire Department. He says five feet of defensible space would slow a wildfire down enough to allow firefighters to do their jobs.
By reducing the number of houses that ignite, firefighters can do their job of going from house to house and making sure they can get in front of the ones that do ignite.
The new ordinance currently applies to about 850 homes in two parts of the city: the Panoramic Hill neighborhood above the Cal campus, and a strip of homes east of Grizzly Peak boulevard.
Assistant Chief Arnold cites this home as a good example of what needs to be done but says that this ordinance will work best if everyone is onboard.
'This is going to be effective if everybody does it,' he said, 'where everyone is pulling together to make everyone safer.'
The ordinance will be heard by the city council a second time next month. If passed, the new rules would kick in on Jan. 1, 2026. Homeowners who then fail to comply with the ordinance could face fines of up to $500 a day for each violation.
Now homeowners would be allowed to keep some potted plants next to their homes as long as they are spaced out.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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