The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Calfire) released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) for Northern California this week, the first time since 2007. They show expanded hazardous fire zones with more than two million acres now deemed “high” or “very high” fire danger areas in the state. The updated zones are a result of Governor Newsom’s recent executive order issued after the Los Angeles fires and will be directing homes built in the “very high” zones to adhere to wildfire-resilient building codes. His goal is to launch key initiatives to continue adapting to future extreme firestorm events in urban communities and leading the way to build a more resilient state.
“The map is like flood zone maps, where lands are described in terms of the probability level of a particular area being inundated by floodwaters, and not specifically prescriptive of impacts,” Cal Fire says. “‘Hazard’ is based on the 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 wildfire, or fuel reduction efforts.”
When assessing an area’s fire hazard severity, Cal Fire looks at the probability of an area burning and “expected” fire behavior under extreme weather conditions. The agency looks at a variety of other factors, including terrain, local weather and fire history over a 50-year period.
The California State Fire Marshal is mandated to classify lands within State Responsibility Areas into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). Fire Hazard Severity Zones fall into one of the following classifications:
- Moderate
- High
- Very High
The zone maps are developed using a science-based and field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire likelihood and fire behavior. Many factors are considered such as fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), predicted flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and typical fire weather for the area.
The public can enter their address on the fire zones and check the property’s probability of being affected by fire (See here).
“The map is like flood zone maps, where lands are described in terms of the probability level of a particular area being inundated by floodwaters, and not specifically prescriptive of impacts,” Cal Fire says. “‘Hazard’ is based on the 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 wildfire, or fuel reduction efforts.”
When assessing an area’s fire hazard severity, Cal Fire looks at the probability of an area burning and “expected” fire behavior under extreme weather conditions. The agency looks at a variety of other factors, including terrain, local weather, and fire history over a 50-year period.
The zones are used for several purposes including designating areas where
California’s defensible space standards and wildland-urban interface building codes are required. They can be a factor in real estate disclosure, and local governments may consider them in their general plan.
South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) will be presenting the FHSZ to the city council in April to adopt it into ordinance. Public comment is now being accepted on the maps, and the comments will be included in the presentation. If you have any questions about the maps and the process, you may contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal at FHSZinformation@fire.ca.gov or by calling (916) 633-7655. Comments may be submitted to FireInfo@cityofslt.us.
To read more, visit https://cityofslt.us/2467/Local-Responsibility-Area-LRA-Fire-Hazar.
