Rebuild:LA Episode 027 - The Hard Truth About Zone Zero with Dr. Travis Longcore

In 2020 California passed AB 3074, which established Zone Zero - an ember-resistant zone within five feet of homes in High and Very High Fire Severity Zones (HFHSZ and VHFHSZ). The law was never implemented because the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection needed to identify exactly what would be allowed and not allowed in Zone Zero. Two things have happened recently. 1. The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection released new maps that have expanded the HFHSZ and VHFHSZ. 2. In the wake of the January Firestorms, Governor Newsom issued an executive order requiring the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to finalize rule-making and implement Zone Zero.

What does this mean for homeowners in Los Angeles? We have the answers, and they might not be what you want to hear. Our expert guest this week is Travis Longcore, a UCLA Adjunct Professor and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, as well as a 28-year member of the Los Angeles County Environmental Review Board. And what he tells host Cameron Barrett about the proposed rules around Zone Zero are surprising...to say the least!

Resources:

• Is Your Home in a HFHSZ and VHFHSZ?
• Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Proposed Zone Zero Rules
• Register for Updates on Future Zone Zero Meetings with the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 6:11 The origin story of Zone Zero
• 8:31 What Exactly Are They Proposing?
• 10:54 Where are the new High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones?
• 15:00 Zone Zero's Application in Urban Areas
• 17:04 The Many Devils in the Details
• 20:35 Butchering the Urban Forest
• 26:30 The Need to Consider Vegetation
• 29:10 The Strategic Error of Trying to Enforce Zone Zero
• 32:10 Man-made Items in Zone Zero
• 34:30 Let's Talk About Ignitions
• 38:42 Location, Location, Location
• 40:50 Future Research
• 41:50 What Can a Homeowner Do?