Zone 0 Fire Hazard Designation in Montecito

Montecito has Very High, High, Moderate, and undesignated Fire Hazard Severity Zones all present; this varies significantly by sub-area. As of July 26, 2026, Montecito Fire Protection District has its own local fence-specific Zone 0 rule already in force, separate from the still-draft statewide rule.

Fire-hazard designation & local ordinance

FHSZ: varies significantly by sub-area

Montecito has Very High, High, Moderate, and undesignated Fire Hazard Severity Zones all present; this varies significantly by sub-area, so no single blanket tier applies uniformly across the community.

Montecito Fire Protection District; Fire Hazard Severity Zones page. Source: Montecito Fire, https://www.montecitofire.com/fire-hazard-severity-zones

SRA/LRA: LRA.

Local Zone 0 fence-specific rule: already in force

A local rule exists here, ahead of the statewide draft.

Montecito Fire Protection District Ordinance 2025-02 / Standard #2, Zone 0(g) already requires non-combustible measures in the Zone 0 area. This is a genuine local fence-specific Zone 0 rule, separate from and ahead of the still-draft statewide rule; it is in force now, not pending.

For the statewide picture (still in draft), see our statewide Zone 0 explainer. But for parcels within the Montecito Fire Protection District, the local rule above is the operative one to check.

Verify your own parcel: Because Montecito has all four fire-hazard tiers present within the community, checking your specific parcel on the official CAL FIRE FHSZ Viewer is especially important here: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-hazard-severity-zones

Fire-hazard designation information on this page reflects our understanding as of July 26, 2026; designations and ordinances may change. Verify current requirements with CAL FIRE or your local fire authority.