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California Expands Fire Hazard Zones by 168% with Finalized Statewide Maps

The updated maps, released on March 24, 2025, introduce stricter fire safety regulations and highlight the growing wildfire risks for 3.7 million residents.

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Thousands of structures sit in ruins in Altadena, CA, on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. The Eaton Fire, fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, ripped through beginning on the evening of Jan. 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A screenshot of CAL FIRE's fire hazard severity zone fire map showing the Los Angeles area, with "Very High" risk areas are depicted in dark red, "High" in orange, and "Moderate" in yellow.
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Overview

  • CalFire has completed its first update to local fire hazard severity maps since 2011, expanding high and very high hazard zones to 3,626 square miles.
  • The maps now include 'moderate' and 'high' hazard zones, alongside 'very high' zones, increasing the total mapped area to 6.8 million acres.
  • New regulations require fire-resistant building codes, defensible space maintenance, and real estate hazard disclosures in high-risk zones.
  • Climate change, advanced modeling, and legal mandates are key drivers of the expanded hazard areas, reflecting a worsening wildfire crisis.
  • Local jurisdictions have 120 days to gather public input and implement the maps, which exclude urban conflagration risks, limiting their predictive scope in densely populated areas.