Public Review and Comments Requested for 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps

FHSZ maps are being updated to more accurately reflect the zones in California that are susceptible to wildfire and designate where California’s defensible space standards and wildland-urban interface building codes are required.

• For homeowners, builders and potential buyers, zones determine what building materials and construction methods can be used in areas of high and very high severity zones, require inspections and the disclosure of the hazard severity zone during real estate transactions
• For local agencies, zones determine development standards for road width, water supply, signage and more

Maps were last updated around 2007. Some regions have been upgraded from Moderate to High Fire Hazard Severity or from High to Very High Fire Hazard Severity. Some regions have been moved from the Local to the State Responsibility Areas, or the other way around.

The new maps use better climate and fire history data to better identify where Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones are in both the local responsibility areas and the state responsibility areas.

These maps show long-range wildfire hazard potential that consider two major factors: the probability of an area burning and expected fire behavior. These are found using wind patterns, fire history and behaviors like ember production and movement, flame length, the overall climate of the area, topography and vegetation characteristics of each area.

The new mapping model uses more accurate, local measurements of factors like wind speed and wind direction to estimate how far embers would potentially travel during a wildfire.

If you are in a High or Very High Zone in the Local Responsibility Area OR if you are in the State Responsibility Area no matter what level of hazard severity, you are required to:

• New structures and renovations: Builders and owners must follow California’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building codes (CBC Chapter 7A). View the list of WUI-Approved Building Materials.
• Existing structures: Owners must follow the Defensible Space Law (Government Code Section 51182). Click here for more information on the Defensible Space Laws.
  • 100-foot defensible space clearance and other wildland fire safety practices for buildings.
  • Owners are also required to disclose the hazard severity zone to potential buyers and have an inspection done as part of a real estate transfer.

Local ordinances may require ignition resistant construction for remodel projects. Check with your local building department to determine which ignition resistant building codes apply to your project. View Kern County’s Wildland-Urban Interface Code, starting on page 45.

For information regarding “home hardening” and defensible space clearance, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

Insurance companies use risk models and structure loss models, which use more specific and short-term information like the building materials and the condition of the structure of your home to determine your policy and coverage.

FHSZ Maps use climate and weather data and are designed to remain steady for the next 10+ years, while insurance risk-models are designed to be updated on a case by case or even yearly basis. The California Department of Insurance states “a change in designation on the [FHSZ] maps for a single homeowner is unlikely to affect their insurance.”

The FHSZ maps do not consider parcel lines or typical community boundaries. Zones and their severity classifications (Moderate, High or Very High) are based on historical fire behavior, geographic, topographic and vegetation features that have the potential for fire hazard.

Therefore, the borders of each zone are determined based on how close an area is to wildland that has the potential for severe fire hazard. For example, using wind speed and direction determines where embers from wildfire are likely to land, and your property may be a greater risk of embers falling than someone upwind but nearby you.

The State Responsibility Area (SRA) is where the state has determined they have financial responsibility for wildland fire protection and prevention, and where CAL FIRE is responsible to respond to and prevent fires. There are more than 31 million acres of land in the SRA, with 1.7 million residents and 800,000 existing homes that are under the protection of CAL FIRE.

• If you live in the State Responsibility Area, no matter what fire hazard severity designation, you are required to follow California’s WUI building codes and Defensible Space Laws.
• More info how fire safety laws for residents living in the State Responsibility area

The Local Responsibility Area (LRA) is where local agencies have financial responsibility to protect and prevent wildfires. These areas include all incorporated cities, urban regions, agricultural lands, and portions of the desert.

• Kern County Fire Department is the local agency responsible for all unincorporated Kern County as well as the cities of Arvin, Delano, Maricopa, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi and Wasco.
• Bakersfield City Fire Department is the primary responsible local agency for areas within the Bakersfield City limits.
• California City Fire Department is the primary responsible local agency for residents within the California City limits.
• If you live in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone within the Local Responsibility Area, you are required to follow California’s WUI building codes and Defensible Space Laws