CAL Fire recently released new hazard maps that greatly increased the areas considered “high” and “very high” risk for wildfires.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire) released new hazard maps affecting dozens of Northern California cities and towns. These maps are expected to increase the area of “very high” and “high” hazard zones to approximately 1.4 million acres, representing an increase of 377,000 additional acres of increased fire-safety regulations.
CAL Fire is the state agency responsible for fire prevention, protection, and emergency response. As the state continues battling a wildfire crisis, the agency is releasing updated hazard maps for various state regions. The latest Northern California maps indicate areas where local fire departments are responsible for wildfire control.
Earlier Cal Fire hazard maps zoned 72,000 acres in Northern California as “very high” risk from information gathered between 2008 to 2011. The updated maps zone nearly 600,000 acres as “moderate,” “high,” or “very high” risk for fire hazards.
CAL Fire’s map release starts a 120-day clock for local jurisdictions to receive public input. Jurisdictions must also begin the process of officially adopting the maps and begin enforcing the associated heightened fire safety regulations.
Understanding Community-Wide Fire Risk and Regulatory Impacts
Many of the new regulations associated with the Cal Fire maps apply only to new construction or significant repairs. In these cases, property owners must take home-hardening measures, including using ignition-resistant materials, covering vents to avoid embers from entering homes, and installing multipaned or fire-resistant windows.
California regulations require local jurisdictions to consider entire communities for “high risk” fire hazards, not just individual structures. This includes evacuation routes and stress on the water supply, as well as locating critical public resources like hospitals and emergency command centers outside of these areas whenever possible.
It is important to note that hazard maps only cover the cities and towns where local fire departments are responsible for managing wildfires. Federal lands, accounting for 45% of all California land, are not included in these maps, but also depict a spike in hazard zones.
While an insurance company’s risk assessment may consider things like composite wood siding or overhanging tree limbs, hazard maps only consider the permanent components of a property. This may include topography, climate, and vegetation patterns. It is more likely that a home would be determined to be in a high-risk zone because of a steep hillside or a dense forest, not the siding composition.
Mapping Fire Risk: What Drives CAL Fire’s Hazard Zone Calculations
CAL Fire determines hazard zones in several ways, depending on the landscape. For wildlands, risk zones are determined by examining vegetation data, topology, weather, and climate patterns to calculate the probability of wildfires and their intensity.
In more populated areas, CAL Fire focuses on the hazards contained in surrounding wildlands and then estimates how far and fast a fire could travel in a developed area. While in very few areas, such as the hills surrounding Berkeley and Oakland, the high-risk areas noted in orange and red have receded, most of the Northern California region has seen high-risk areas greatly expand, increasing by 168% since 2011.
Expanded High-Risk Zones: What the New CAL Fire Maps Mean for Communities
The areas of exponential risk — demonstrated with orange and red patches on the updated maps — is now 3,626 square miles, twice the size of the state of Delaware. This area is home to approximately 3.7 million people, affecting 1 in 10 California residents.
These residents now live in an area that will be subject to an array of building code and disclosure regulations. In addition to affecting community plans and repairs, these updates could increase already high property costs within the housing market.
Homeowners in the “very high” hazard zones will be subject to a variety of new rules, such as clearing a 100-foot circle around their property that is free of brush, dead trees, and other flammable materials. New subdivisions must be designed with multiple evacuation routes, adequate water supply infrastructure, and built-in fuel breaks.
Financial Implications for Residential and Commercial Properties
With more acreage designated as “high” and “very high” risk for wildfires, more property owners, jurisdictions, and developers will fall under mitigation requirements. For developers, increased hazardous areas could lead to stricter building codes and associated requirements for fire-resistant materials, potentially causing higher building costs.
The need to comply with the new regulations and obtain additional permits could also lead to delays in project timelines.
For jurisdictions and municipalities, enforcing new building codes and fire safety regulations could lead to an increased administrative workload and enhanced regulatory burden. Public safety concerns may also require a larger investment in fire prevention and mitigation measures, potentially impacting budgets and resource allocation.
Overall, while the new CAL Fire maps improve understanding of hazardous areas throughout Northern California, they also introduce challenges that require expertise to navigate.
Mitigating Costs with State and Federal Grants
Various grants are available to help lessen the impact of wide-reaching fire hazard maps. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers programs that provide funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to develop hazard mitigation plans and implement risk-reducing projects. For example, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program help communities develop community-wide fire prevention measures.
Other state programs — such as Community Wildfire Defense Grants from the U.S. Forest Service — or local financial support can offset increased costs of fire-resistant materials and designs. To ensure a complete inventory of available grants and programs, it can be extremely valuable to work with a team of third-party grant specialists with expertise in sustainability consulting.
These professionals can help developers or municipalities identify and secure grants to overcome the challenges faced with increased fire hazard regulations. In addition to extensive expertise and experience, grant specialists can promote efficiency by compiling all necessary documentation and ensuring compliance throughout the grant application process.
After securing funding, specialists can also assist with managing the grant and complying with reporting requirements.
Navigating Wildfire Risk Through Strategic Funding and Expertise
The release of the new CAL Fire hazard maps marks a significant step in enhancing fire safety across Northern California. While increased building costs, project delays, and administrative burdens raise the potential for challenges, grants may be available to offset these costs.
By leveraging the expertise of grant specialists, developers, and local jurisdictions can navigate the complexities of CAL Fire’s updated hazard maps. Securing the appropriate funding can play a key role in mitigating these growing fire hazards throughout Northern California while complying with new and ongoing regulations.
