§7.2 Chapter 7 · Drought, wildfire and wells
Water and Wildfire Prep
Summary. Wildfire prep with water in North County means 100 feet of defensible space, several hoses that reach every side of the house, sprinklers and taps turned off when you evacuate, and alerts registered before fire season.
Section 7.2 · revised · checked against district reports, code and agency pages · about 6 min to read
7.2.1 What do defensible space zones mean for watering?
They tell you where plants should stay green and spaced, and where fuel should be thinned, out to 100 feet from the house. The County's AlertSanDiego wildfire page puts it plainly: 100 feet is the law. Inside that distance, the Board of Forestry's September 2025 Zone 0 FAQ splits the space into three bands.
| Zone | Distance from the house | Status | Water notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 0 | 0 to 5 feet, including attached decks | Being phased in by the Board of Forestry; not confirmed final | Ember-resistant strip; existing homes would get three years once rules are final |
| Zone 1 | Out to 30 feet | In effect | The Board describes it as suited to well-kept gardens |
| Zone 2 | 30 to 100 feet, or to the property line | In effect | Thinned fuel; no irrigation mandate from the Board |
| County Zone One | Out to 50 feet | Used in the County's guide | Guide says "permanently irrigated" plants |
The Board's FAQ says it "lacks the authority" to make homeowners irrigate, so watering inside these zones is a choice, not a state rule. The County's own guide takes a different line: it draws a 50-foot Zone One that "must be permanently irrigated" and a 50-to-100-foot Zone Two with no permanent irrigation. That 50-foot figure may reflect local fire code. Use the state bands and the 100-foot total as the legal frame, and treat the County's 50 feet as advice on where watering matters most.
Watering those plants still has to follow your district's hours. Drip lines on a timer, set inside the window on the watering rules §7.1 page, keep a Zone 1 garden green without running into a rule.
Selling a house brings one more step. Since July 1, 2021, a sale in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone needs a compliant defensible space inspection done within 6 months before the contract, and North County Fire performs these AB 38 inspections around Fallbrook.
7.2.2 What water gear should be ready?
Hoses that reach, a way to shut off the water fast, and nothing that depends on power. The County's Ready, Set, Go guide asks for "multiple garden hoses" long enough to reach any area of the home and other structures. If you have a pool or a well, it suggests considering a pump.
A short checklist before fire season:
- Walk each side of the house, the garage and any outbuildings with a hose, and add length where it falls short.
- Leave a hose connected at more than one outdoor faucet, each with a shutoff nozzle.
- Find the main water shutoff and make sure it turns; the main shutoff valve §4.4 page shows where to look.
- On a property with a well, remember the pump needs power. Well owners can read more on the well water testing §7.3 page.
If you become trapped at home, the guide says to bring garden hoses inside so embers don't destroy them.
7.2.3 Should sprinklers stay on when you evacuate?
No. The County guide's evacuation list says "Don't leave sprinklers on or water running," and it does not say why in the text read for this page. Some people repeat reasons for that advice, but none was found in an official source, so none is offered here. Turn off irrigation timers and taps as part of leaving.
No official source read for this page recommends rooftop or roof sprinklers, and this page does not either. CAL FIRE's own Ready, Set, Go pages could not be reached, so the County guide is the only official wording on sprinklers used here.
7.2.4 How do districts prepare for fires and outages?
They store water ahead of time and plan for pumps to keep running. When SDG&E schedules a power shutoff, FPUD and Rainbow Water say their crews fill water tanks to raise storage and ready backup generators at pump stations. FPUD's Red Mountain Reservoir holds 440 million gallons; Rainbow's Morro Reservoir holds 150 million.
Rainbow also has a heli-hydrant at its 6.0-million-gallon Pala Mesa tank. Helicopters can draw up to 5,000 gallons from it in minutes, and it supported 30 drops on the Garden Fire.
| Figure | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 440 million gallons | FPUD's Red Mountain Reservoir | Fallbrook PUD |
| 150 million gallons | Rainbow's Morro Reservoir | Rainbow Water |
| 5,000 gallons | Water a helicopter can draw from Rainbow's Pala Mesa heli-hydrant in minutes | Rainbow Water |
| 100 feet | Defensible space required by law | San Diego County OES |
| 0-5 feet | Zone 0, being phased in, not confirmed final | AlertSanDiego; Board of Forestry Zone 0 FAQ (Sept 2025); FPUD and Rainbow Water fire-prep notice |
| 30 feet | Outer edge of Zone 1 | AlertSanDiego; Board of Forestry Zone 0 FAQ (Sept 2025); FPUD and Rainbow Water fire-prep notice |
7.2.5 Where do alerts come from?
From the County's AlertSanDiego system and from free phone apps the districts recommend. AlertSanDiego calls listed and unlisted landlines automatically from the 9-1-1 database, but it reaches cell phones, internet phones and email only if you register them. Register every phone in the household.
Rainbow's emergency prep tips name three free apps that send notifications of fires, evacuation maps and power outages: Alert San Diego, Genasys Protect and Watch Duty. FPUD also points customers to Genasys and Watch Duty.
7.2.6 Common questions
- Does the County want Zone One irrigated?
Its Ready, Set, Go guide describes a 50-foot Zone One that "must be permanently irrigated" to keep plants green and healthy. The state Board of Forestry, by contrast, says it cannot require homeowners to irrigate.
- When does Zone 0 take effect for an existing home?
No date is given here. The Board's September 2025 FAQ said the rules were not final and that existing homes would have three years to comply once they are. Check with your fire agency for the current status.
- Should hoses stay outside during a fire?
Have them connected and ready while you prepare. If you are trapped at home, the County guide says to bring garden hoses inside so embers don't destroy them.
- Who does AB 38 inspections in Fallbrook?
North County Fire performs defensible space inspections for sellers in High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The inspection must be done within 6 months before the sales contract.
- Do I need to sign up for AlertSanDiego on a landline?
Listed and unlisted landlines are called automatically from the 9-1-1 database. Cell phones, internet phones and email need to be registered.
- What can a pool or well add to fire prep?
The County guide says that if you have a pool or well, you could consider a pump. It gives no further detail, and no official guidance on signs for firefighters was found.
- Why does the district fill tanks before a power shutoff?
FPUD and Rainbow say they fill tanks to increase storage and ready backup generators at pump stations, so water keeps moving while the grid is off.
7.2.7 Sources for this section
Sources behind this page: the County OES AlertSanDiego wildfire page and its evacuation guide, the Board of Forestry's Zone 0 FAQ dated September 17, 2025, North County Fire's AB 38 page, and the FPUD and Rainbow Water fire-preparation notices, all read October 2026. CAL FIRE and Board of Forestry websites refused access, so Zone 0's final status and any CAL FIRE sprinkler wording are left out rather than guessed.
Checked October 29, 2026. Inline links in the text above go to each source.