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What the ember-resistant zone rules mean for this unincorporated canyon community, under its actual designation and its actual fire authority.
The local snapshot
Modjeska Canyon wraps around Santiago Creek beneath Modjeska Peak, with homes tucked into oak and chaparral terrain that has carried fire twice in living memory. The community sits in OCFA's Local Responsibility Area, mapped Very High, and the Zone Zero ember-resistant zone requirement lands here with full force: the first 0 to 5 feet around every structure, kept free of combustible material.
Fire record
The Santiago Fire burned through Modjeska in 2007 as part of its 28,445-acre run through the canyons, and the community evacuated again in December 2020 as the Bond Fire spread from neighboring Silverado. Nearly the same footprint, thirteen years apart. Modjeska's tight canyon geometry means embers arrive ahead of any flame front, which is precisely the mechanism Zone 0 (Zone Zero) compliance is designed to interrupt.
Who enforces it
OCFA is the Authority Having Jurisdiction here. Statewide Zone 0 is Proposed — not in force. Existing defensible-space law still applies. OCFA Guideline C-05 is a new-construction fuel-modification plan-review rule, not a countywide existing-home Zone 0 ordinance. Deadlines pages carry local status labels, not a 2027 to 2028 statewide clock; your jurisdiction sets the specifics, and this page names yours. For the requirements themselves, start with the regulations guide, fences and gates, and landscaping.
Questions
Yes. Modjeska is unincorporated Very High territory under OCFA. Existing defensible-space law still applies. Statewide Zone 0 is Proposed — not in force. The first five feet is Recommended now.
The 2007 Santiago Fire burned through the canyon, and the 2020 Bond Fire forced evacuation as it spread from Silverado. Both fires moved through nearly the same set of canyon communities.
The attachments: combustible fencing and gates touching the house, and stored fuel in the first five feet. In canyon wind corridors, those are the ignition points embers find first.
Submit your address and we will follow up about which local rules apply to your parcel, what your fire authority will look for, and what an inspection would document.
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