City Council will hear an ‘Ordinance to Designate Fire Hazard Severity Zones’ on July 15, 2025.
In California, local agencies, including the City of San Diego, are legally required to adopt the fire hazard severity zones (FHSZ) recommended by the State Fire Marshal through ordinance within 120 days of receiving the recommendations. The City also has discretion to designate additional areas within its jurisdiction that it determines require defensible space and vegetation management to prevent fire spread and reduce intensity.
From SDFD: What is a Fire Hazard Severity Zone, or FHSZ? Per Government Code 51178, the State Fire Marshal shall identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors, including areas where winds have been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as a major cause of wildfire spread. Reference FAQ: https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/2025_lra_fhsz_faqs.pdf
The City of San Diego Proposed 2025 Update Fire Hazard Safety Zone Map is included in this post. View the Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) 2025 Updated FHSZ Map at: https://www.sandiego.gov/fire/community-risk-reduction/fire-zone-map
Refer to Item 52: Ordinance to Designate Fire Hazard Severity Zones, on the Tuesday, July 15, City Council agenda; available at: https://sandiego.hylandcloud.com/211agendaonlinecouncil/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=6612&doctype=1&site=council
