Monday Market Updates: Updated Cal Fire Hazard Severity Maps Released

Welcome back to the Bobbi Decker Blog! As you know by now, our focus is not fear – but knowledge and empowerment. As we share with you today’s topic regarding the release of Cal Fire’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Maps, we encourage you not to be afraid, but to be informed.

What’s New

Cal Fire originally released Fire Hazard Severity Maps in 2011 for local jurisdictions. The updated Bay Area maps have just been released according to Silicon Valley Online (a publication of Bay Area News Group), now dated February 23, 2025.

The new maps reflect a large increase in areas now considered to have a "high" and "very high" likelihood of wildfire. Old versions of the maps only indicated “very high” hazard, new categories include “high” and “moderate.”

What Does It Mean?

If your home is in an area deemed “very high hazard” on the updated maps, you will have to comply with the Zone 0 regulations starting in the beginning of 2026. This means having a perimeter around your home from 0 – 5 feet out that has no flammable materials, an ‘Ember-Resistant Zone.” Read more about creating that defensible space here.

How Does Cal Fire Determine Hazard Levels?

Updated hazard levels are based on improved science methods which better identify the distinct nuances of each locality. Factors include: fire history, existing and potential vegetation, predicted flame length, ember-dispersion distances, terrain and weather patterns.

Will My Insurance Rates Rise Based On My Hazard Level?

It’s no secret that most homeowners are facing rising insurance costs, however, it is likely not a result of the updated Cal Fire maps. The California Association of Counties has reported in a recent fact sheet that “Insurance risk models incorporate many additional factors that change more frequently than those that Cal Fire includes in its hazard mapping.”

Note that the updated maps provide important information not just for homeowners, but for local officials in taking steps towards prevention, determining fire response and acting based on which state building codes are impacted in applicable areas.

Resources Used:  New Bay Area fire-hazard maps: Is your city among those seeing striking increases?; Bay Area Updated Maps; Cal Fire Defensible Space Guide; Fire Hazard Severity Zones Local Responsibility Area Fact Sheets

Stay informed & stay safe!

Bobbi

Bobbi Decker
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Broker Associate, Bobbi Decker & Associates
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