New Fire Hazard Severity Zones Designated for Local Responsibility Areas
Per Government Code § 51178, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has recently updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) mapping for both State and Local Responsibility Areas. The maps are based on the physical conditions of landscapes, including fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other factors (such as wind) that are major causes of wildfire spread. The maps identify fire hazard not risk and are designated in three categories: moderate, high, and very high. Fire “hazard” is based on physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50-year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, recent wildfires, or fuel reduction. Fire “risk” is the potential damage a fire can do to the area under existing conditions, accounting for any modifications such as fuel reduction projects, defensible space, and ignition resistant building construction. Catastrophic risk is used as part of the modeling efforts for fire insurance.
Government Code § 51178.5 requires local agencies to make the FHSZ information available to the public for review and comment. And per Government Code § 51179 the City must adopt the FHSZs though an ordinance. There are increased regulatory controls on development in high and very high FHSZs, such as more fire-resistant buildings, defensible space, water supply, and road widths. The City can increase the severity of the zones recommended by Cal Fire but cannot decrease them. There is no option for the City to object to or appeal the designations. Trinidad has been designated as being in a “moderate” FHSZ except for Trinidad Head, which has been designated as “very high.”
Access FHSZ map and FAQ's by reviewing the attachments at the bottom of the page.
Cal Fire FHSZ website: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-hazard-severity-zones
Government Code 51178
The State Fire Marshal shall identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors including areas where winds have been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as a major cause of wildfire spread.