Can culling your garden slow a wildfire? A California city pins its hopes on a contested plan

Berkeley is adopting a "Zone 0" regulation requiring homeowners in high-risk wildfire areas to clear all combustible vegetation within 5 feet of their homes, a mandate that has prompted residents like Michel Thouati to remove long-established trees including fig, persimmon, and elderberry plants. The policy reflects growing research showing that landscaping can accelerate the spread of wildfires from surrounding wildland into residential neighborhoods, particularly in vulnerable areas like Berkeley's ridgeline properties near open space. The regulation represents a contested bet that aggressive vegetation removal can meaningfully slow the destructive fires increasingly threatening California communities. Residents face a difficult trade-off between preserving established gardens and reducing fire risk, as climate change and development patterns have made California neighborhoods more vulnerable to catastrophic blazes. The approach tests whether defensible-space requirements can deliver measurable protection in some of the state's highest-risk fire zones.