The 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 California laws that require Fire Hazard Severity Zones include California Public Resources Code 4201-4204, California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1280 and California Government Code 51175-89.
Government Code 51179 (a) states: “A local agency shall designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178”. 14 CCR § 1280.02 (a) Within thirty (30) days of adopting a local ordinance designating fire hazard severity zones, a local agency shall transmit a copy of the ordinance and a map depicting the adopted zones within the local agency to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board).
To view the designated fire hazard severity zones of California, follow this link to the State Fire Marshal's website: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-hazard-severity-zones