State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection: ember-resistant zones: emergency regulations.

Assembly Member Bryan's fire prevention legislation mandates the creation of ember-resistant zones within 5 feet of structures in California's high-risk fire areas, requiring property owners to eliminate materials that could ignite from wind-blown embers. The bill directs the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to implement these requirements through emergency regulations that would remain in effect until revised.

The legislation applies to buildings in state responsibility areas and structures within locally-designated very high fire hazard severity zones. Property owners must maintain a 100-foot defensible space perimeter, with specific fuel reduction requirements between 5 and 30 feet from structures. The bill preserves existing provisions allowing insurance companies to require larger defensible spaces based on fire expert assessments, while maintaining requirements for written consent from adjacent property owners for modifications beyond property lines.

To expedite implementation, the Office of Administrative Law must treat these as emergency regulations necessary for public safety. The State Board may readopt the emergency regulations as needed, ensuring continuous enforcement of the ember-resistant zone requirements. While expanding defensible space requirements constitutes a new criminal violation under state law, the legislation specifies that local agencies will not receive state reimbursement for enforcement costs.