California passes toughest wildfire rules in the U.S. for home landscaping

California has adopted the toughest new rules in the country that require homeowners to manage the plants around their houses. Fire experts say it helps protect houses from burning, but public pushback has been strong.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x609+0+0/resize/1024x609!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9b%2F83%2F4b23779e4c45a5778db5255a4c92%2Fgettyimages-2192862644.jpg' alt='Wildfire experts have found that homes with dense vegetation are at higher risk of burning, like in the Palisades Fire in 2025. New regulations in California require homeowners to manage plants within five feet of a structure.'/><p>California has adopted the toughest new rules in the country that require homeowners to manage the plants around their houses. Fire experts say it helps protect houses from burning, but public pushback has been strong.</p><p>(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5937926' />