History
From 2021 to 2023, SAFRR worked tirelessly to preserve the 1991 State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations, successfully countering considerable lobbying efforts to weaken the standards. Working with the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, a division of the California Natural Resources Agency, SAFRR led public engagement, legal submissions, and coalition-building to protect life-saving standards.
The State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations (FSRs) set by the BOF, as authorized under the Public Resource Code (PRC § 4290) have applied to the State Responsibility Area (SRA) since 1991, and since 2021, have applied to the “Very High” Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the each county or city’s Local Responsibility Area (LRA).
Fire Professionals Weigh In: SAFRR fostered a network of bold retired fire professionals and formed coalitions to present legal arguments against the fierce lobbying to gut the Fire Safe Regulations (FSR).
David Hillman, retired Deputy Director CalFire:
“I find it absurd that we are throwing tens of millions of dollars at our fire suppression capabilities but [considering] removing some of the safety and fire protection regulations that were developed in response to previous catastrophic and tragic events —regulations that remove long-standing safety standards in high fire danger areas, will likely risk firefighter and civilian lives.”
At the 11th hour, and against incredible odds, protection of public safety prevailed. In August 2022, the Board of Forestry and Fire Prevention (BOF) voted to retain the 1991 Fire Safe Regulations — for now.
In 2024, the effort to gut the fire safe regulations moved from the regulatory arena to the legislature, requiring renewed advocacy from SAFRR and its partners. Despite the acceleration of catastrophic wildfires with community burn over, development interests continue to push proposals that eliminate public safety protections.
2025: Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map Updates
California assigns the responsibility to respond to fires among three jurisdictions. In the Local Responsibility Area (LRA), city and county fire departments are responsible for responding to fires. CalFire is responsible for the State Responsibility Area (SRA), and federal agencies respond to fires in the Federal Responsibility Area (FRA).
In 2021, the legislature directed CalFire to map the “very high, high and moderate” fire hazard severity zones to reflect emerging wildfire science; and in 2025, CalFire released updated LRA hazard severity zone maps. Now, local governments must comply with stricter building codes (e.g. Chapter 7A), and fire safe standards in both the “High” and “Very High” fire hazard severity zones.
The February 11, 2025 CALMatters Article by J. Cart reported: “Reflecting intensifying wildfires and updated science, new state maps designate more than 2.3 million acres of local land in California as facing “high” or “very high” danger of wildfires.”
The maps added 1.16 million acres designated as “high" fire hazard zone and expanded the “very high” zone to 1.14 million acres, an increase of 247,000 acres. for a total of 2.3 million acres.
