[Your Full Name]
[Your Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
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[Phone Number]
[Date]
CAL FIRE Zone 0 Advisory Committee
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
P.O. Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460
Sent to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
Re: Support for Strong Zone 0 Defensible Space Requirements
Dear Zone 0 Advisory Committee Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for the adoption of strict Zone 0 defensible space requirements, and my concern about a possible weakening of regulations.
The testimony presented to the Committee in the past workshops was very clear. Every wildfire science article discussed supported the effectiveness of Zone 0. While there are still gaps in existing science, there was a very large consensus agreement among wildfire scientists on supporting enforcement of Zone 0. Every single firefighter offering testimony to the Committee supported strict Zone 0 enforcement.
I am concerned to see the Committee possibly weaken originally discussed regulations for Zone 0 enforcement. For instance, while the increased use of forest products is a laudable goal for the California Department of Forestry, re-introducing their use for new construction in Zone 0, or even for existing attached fences and gates, goes directly counter to all the evidence presented: baseless social media-driven disinformation campaigns do not replace science. With California facing longer and more intense fire seasons and more record-setting fires, strict Zone 0 guidelines—including the removal of all combustible vegetation and materials immediately adjacent to structures—are both reasonable and essential for community resilience.
I live in the WUI. I don’t want to leave my home. In the past years wildfire risk in my neighborhood has exploded, and it has become exceedingly difficult to get insurance. The survival of my house and possibly my life depend upon the decisions that the Committee will take: they are existential for me. If the final Committee regulations are not strong enough to allow my neighborhood to survive a wildfire, it may well convince me to relocate despite my wishes.
The implementation and enforcement of Zone 0 and Zone 1 together, starting in 2026, may represent a true inflection point in the history of disasters in California. Future generations may decide that we did not do enough in this step: they will certainly not judge that we did too much. I urge the committee to stand firm against any efforts to weaken these requirements, and be counted among those who made a difference to California.
Thank you for your tenacious leadership in protecting Californians from the growing threat of wildfire.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
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