US EditionSouthern California fire danger zones increase 76% in new maps
- On Monday, March 24, new state hazard maps were released by Cal Fire, documenting areas prone to wildfires within the next several decades as part of a 40-year-old program.
- The updated maps, compiled since 2011, reflect an increase in fire risk, with Dave Sapsis of Cal Fire stating that "The hazard has gotten more extreme."
- Statewide, the size of very-high fire zones increased by 35% to 1.16 million acres, while in Southern California's five most populous counties, the very-high fire zone grew to over 812,000 acres, and the number of acres requiring compliance with stricter building codes increased by 76% in areas protected by local firefighters.
- L.A. County Fire Chief Albert Yanagisawa, speaking at a news conference on Monday, expressed surprise that the very high fire severity zones didn't extend further into Altadena, stating, "I thought the very high fire severity zones were really going to reach deep, deep down into Altadena, and they haven't."
- As a result of the updated maps, more residents will need to remove flammable materials and have properties inspected before sales, impacting efforts like those of The Foothill Catalog Foundation, while Nic Arnzen of the Altadena Town Council anticipates some resident objections but expects overall acceptance, noting that the state provides no funding for increased brush inspections, and retired U.S. Forest Service scientist Jack Cohen emphasized the importance of community preparedness, stating, "It's how do the communities respond to that wildfire.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Whittier Daily News
San Bernardino SunHere’s how many acres most of Southern California’s cities changed on Cal Fire’s risk map
Mapping fire threats Cal Fire released new fire hazard severity maps for Southern California on Monday, March 24, the final piece in a 2025 statewide rollout. While Cal Fire mapped “very high” wildfire zones under local authority more than a decade ago, the new maps now include “high” and “moderate” zones as well. The state law requiring the new mapping extends fire safety regulations that applied to just very high zones into high zones as well.…
Pasadena Star News
Southern California fire danger zones increase 76% in new maps
The number of acres in the top two fire zones that must comply with stiffer, fire-safe building codes increased 76% in Southern California areas protected by local firefighters, new state hazard maps released Monday, March 24, show.” The number in the highest tier, the “very high fire hazard severity zone,” increased by 26% in the region, meaning that more residents will have to remove flammable plants and materials around their homes and will h…
California's new fire prevention goals include more rules, goats
After more than 8,000 wildfires turned over $1 million acres across California in 2024, the state’s wildfire prevention task force Monday issued a list of its top priorities and action plans. The so-called 2025 Key Deliverables by the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force aim to make homes and properties more fire resilient while reducing factors that could accelerate...
Brentwood News
Does Your Neighborhood Face the Hazard of Wildfires? New State Maps Reveal the Danger Zones
Here’s How to Check Your Area’s Rating and What It Means for Homeowners For the first time in 10 years, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has updated its Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, revealing heightened wildfire risks across Los Angeles. The newly released maps assess the fire danger levels in areas where local fire departments manage wildfires, offering a clearer picture of which neighborhoods face the gre…
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