History of Local Responsibility Area Maps
Up to 2025, the LRA Maps reflected 2007 - 2011 data for “very high” hazard zones only, which covered about 800,000 acres across California.
In 2021, a State Law expanded Cal Fire hazard mapping for the LRA to include both the “very high” and “high” hazard zones. The State Law also required cities and counties to consider and incorporate fire hazards in their community-based land use and evacuation planning. This portion of the law, relating to General Plan processes, has had low adoption rates.
The Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps designate responsibility areas and zones ranging from Very High, High to Moderate. And, there are over 50 pieces of legislation, codes, grants and other state rules that reference the Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps, many of which were approved in response to catastrophic wildfires. Again, to date, many of these rules have not been followed.
Cal Fire will continue to gather information as to vegetation, drought, changing wind and land use patterns to update the maps about every five years. The Cal Fire model also includes fire history; hence, future mapping will reflect the catastrophic 2025 Los Angeles firestorms.
A local jurisdiction can increase the hazard severity area and apply new ratings, but cannot decrease the zone or apply lesser standards. Thus, State officials cannot estimate the percent of total acreage encompassed by the fire-resiliency standards until local authorities adopt their maps later this year.
SAFRRs Fire Safe Regulations Implementation Challenges webpage notes that, to date, not all local jurisdictions are complying with the regulations. And, Local Advocacy Land Use webpages cite examples of communities where private companies and residents are funding their own Emergency Traffic Evacuation (ETE) studies.
CalFire LRA Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps will be released in phases, and once released, can be viewed in PDF format on the Cal Fire website.
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