Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state that are not state responsibility areas, commonly known as local responsibility areas, 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. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to periodically review and make recommendations relative to very high fire hazard severity zones within local responsibility areas. Under existing law, this review is required to coincide with review of state responsibility area lands every 5 years and, when possible, fall within the timeframes for each countys general plan update. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving the recommendations from the State Fire Marshal. Existing law authorizes a local agency to, at its discretion, include areas within its jurisdiction not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal as very high fire hazard severity zones and areas not identified as moderate and high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal as moderate and high fire hazard severity zones. Under existing law, a local agency is required to transmit a copy of an this adopted ordinance to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within 30 days of adoption. Existing law provides that changes made by a local agency to the recommendations made by the State Fire Marshal are final.

This bill would require the State Fire Marshal to, no fewer than 180 days before finalizing the designation of local responsibility areas as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones, post specified information relating to those designations on its public internet website, conduct regional public workshops to receive oral public comments and consider those comments, provide at least one workshop on the draft maps for stakeholder participation, host a 30-day public comment period to receive written comments from interested stakeholders and stakeholders, respond to all written comments by local agencies regarding land use and zoning matters that address the accuracy of the data used by the State Fire Marshal for those designations within 30 days of the end of the public comment period, and coordinate with other state agencies to help educate the public during the public workshops, their constituencies, as specified. The bill would also require, on or before January 1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter, the State Fire Marshal to review the local responsibility area lands designated as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones and to recommend changes. The bill would no longer require end the requirement that this review to, review, when possible, fall within the timeframes for each countys general plan update. The bill would authorize a local agency to, at its discretion, increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a parcel contains 2 or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply to the entire parcel. parcel and include documentation of existing wildfire mitigation efforts or programs implemented locally within the fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction. The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to publish within 60 days the local ordinance transmitted to the board, as described above, on its internet website.

Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state that are not state responsibility areas, commonly known as local responsibility areas, 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. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to periodically review and make recommendations relative to very high fire hazard severity zones within local responsibility areas. Under existing law, this review is required to coincide with review of state responsibility area lands every 5 years and, when possible, fall within the timeframes for each countys general plan update. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving the recommendations from the State Fire Marshal. Existing law authorizes a local agency to, at its discretion, include areas within its jurisdiction not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal as very high fire hazard severity zones and areas not identified as moderate and high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal as moderate and high fire hazard severity zones. Under existing law, a local agency is required to transmit a copy of an adopted ordinance to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within 30 days of adoption. Existing law provides that changes made by a local agency to the recommendations made by the State Fire Marshal are final.

This bill would require the State Fire Marshal to, no fewer than 180 days before finalizing the designation of local responsibility areas as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones, post specified information on its public internet website, conduct regional public workshops to receive oral public comments and consider those comments, host a 30-day public comment period to receive written comments from interested stakeholders and respond to all written comments by local agencies within 30 days of the end of the public comment period, and coordinate with other state agencies to help educate the public during the public workshops, as specified. The bill would also require, on or before January 1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter, the State Fire Marshal to review the local responsibility area lands designated as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones and to recommend changes. The bill would no longer require this review to, when possible, fall within the timeframes for each countys general plan update. The bill would authorize a local agency to, at its discretion, increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a parcel contains 2 or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply to the entire parcel. The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to publish within 60 days the local ordinance transmitted to the board, as described above, on its internet website.

Date of Hearing: May 6, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2517

Author:(Calderon) – As Amended Ver:April 8, 2026

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill establishes a process for public engagement for the State Fire Marshal’s (SFM) development of fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) maps and requires the SFM to review and update, as needed, FHSZ designations in local responsibility areas (LRAs) every five years.

Specifically, this bill, among other things:

1) Requires the SFM to, no fewer than 180 days before finalizing the designation of areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high FHSZs:

a) Post draft maps of preliminary designations on its website to ensure the preliminary designations are available for stakeholder review and comment. (The bill defines “stakeholder” to include fire departments, fire safe councils, and local agencies.)

b) Post the data inputs, model, and methodology used to develop the preliminary designations on its website.

c) Provide at least one workshop, in-person or online, on the draft maps for stakeholder participation.

d) Host a 30-day public comment period for interested stakeholders to provide written comment on the draft maps and respond to, within 30 days of the end of the public comment period, all written comments received from local agencies regarding land use and zoning matters that address the accuracy of the data used by the SFM for the preliminary designation.

e) Coordinate with other state agencies to educate their constituencies on the following topics related to the preliminary designations: mitigation activities, fire insurance, and other related maps and models.

2) Authorizes a local agency to (a) increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a parcel contains two or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply to the entire parcel and (b) include documentation of existing wildfire mitigation efforts or programs implemented locally within the FHSZs in its jurisdiction.

3) Requires the SFM to publish on its website a local ordinance (by which a local agency designates FHSZs in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the SFM) within 60 days of receiving the ordinance.

4) Requires the SFM, on or before January 1, 2030, and every five years thereafter, to review the LRA lands in the state, including areas identified as moderate, high, and very high FHSZs, and as necessary, recommend changes, as specified; requires this review of LRA lands to coincide with the review of state responsibility area (SRA) lands every five years; and strikes an existing requirement that this review, when possible, fall within the timeframes for each county’s general plan update.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Given the complicated nature of the FHSZ evaluation and mapping process as well as the number of jurisdictions in the LRA universe, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) will likely incur significant ongoing General Fund costs to comply with the expanded public engagement requirements in the bill and to review and update FHSZ designations in the LRA every five years (there is currently no statutorily required timeline for updates to the LRA maps).

For its part, CAL FIRE, which houses SFM, estimates costs of approximately $5.6 million in year one, $6.5 million in year two, and $6.3 million annually thereafter (General Fund) to hire two assistant chiefs, seven battalion chiefs, one research data analyst, one research data specialist, one attorney, one senior environmental scientist, and one analyst (at various classification levels) to implement changes to the FHSZ review process; evaluate model changes and stakeholder comments to ensure statewide consistency; develop outreach methods for ongoing public engagement; respond to written comments received from local agencies regarding land use and zoning matters that address the accuracy of the data used by CAL FIRE and SFM for preliminary land and FHSZ designations; provide technical support for data development, including updated climate data inputs and fuel and land cover classification, required for model updates requested by the entities identified in the bill; utilize advanced spatial techniques to optimize cellular aggregation into areal zones; provide administrative support; and other relevant tasks.

In addition to new staff, CAL FIRE’s estimate includes (a) the cost of ongoing data acquisition and external modeling support to allow for near-term changes in wildland and non-wildland areas, along with modeling hazard in the built environment and (b) funding for nine vehicles for the assistant chiefs and battalion chiefs to conduct site visits.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office recently warned of General Fund structural deficits of around $35 billion per year in the 2027-28 fiscal year and ongoing.

COMMENTS:

1) Purpose. According to the author:

When the state updates fire hazard severity zone maps, local governments and residents deserve a clear understanding of what those changes mean and a chance to share their input. Assembly Bill 2517 helps make this process more transparent by requiring advance notice, public workshops, and opportunities for communities to provide feedback before maps are finalized. By improving communication and collaboration, we can help ensure communities are better informed and better prepared for wildfire risk.

2) Background. Current law requires the SFM to classify lands within the SRA and LRA into FHSZs, which fall into the following fire hazard classifications: moderate, high, and very high. FHSZ maps evaluate “hazard” based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30-to-50-year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, defensible space, vegetation management, or fuel reduction efforts.

Local agencies have 120 days from the receipt of the state’s recommendations to designate FHSZs by ordinance. A local agency may, at its discretion, increase the level of FHSZ identified by the SFM, or include areas within its jurisdiction into its FHSZ ordinance, but a local agency may not decrease the level of FHSZ identified by the SFM. The SFM adopted final maps for the SRA on April 1, 2024, and released its final round of recommended LRA maps on March 24, 2025.

As described in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee’s analysis of this bill, development of the FHSZ maps is not subject to the Administrative Procedure Act, which means there is no opportunity for local governments to actively track or participate in the map development process. Without insight into this process, local governments may find it challenging to adopt their own ordinances that accurately reflect their jurisdictions within 120 days.

The League of California Cities, the sponsor of this bill, notes that prior to the most recent release in 2025, the LRA FHSZ maps had not been updated for 15 years. Many local governments raised concerns when the maps were updated, such as the accuracy of land use information, including split parcels with multiple designations, and the designation of developed areas such as parking lots and bodies of water as very high FHSZs. The League of California Cities argues the SFM process creates challenges for local jurisdictions that are required to adopt these maps by ordinance and host public comment locally without the ability to respond to public concerns regarding the FHSZ model and data. Supporters of this bill contend this bill ensures consistent and timely updates to the LRA FHSZ maps and establishes a more transparent, publicly accessible process at the state level for developing and releasing FHSZ designations.

Analysis Prepared by: Nikita Koraddi / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 23, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Rhodesia Ransom, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2517 (

Author:Calderon) – As Amended Ver:April 8, 2026

SUBJECT: Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones

SUMMARY: Establishes a process for public engagement for the State Fire Marshal’s (SFM) development of fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) maps. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the SFM, no fewer than 180 days before finalizing the FHSZ designations, to do all of the following:
   1. Post draft maps of preliminary designations on its public internet website to ensure the preliminary designations are available for stakeholder review and comment.
   2. Post the data inputs, model, and methodology used to develop the preliminary designations on its public internet website.
   3. Provide at least one workshop on the draft maps for stakeholder participation, as specified.
   4.  Host a 30-day public comment period for interested stakeholders to provide written comment on the draft maps and respond to, within 30 days of the end of the public comment period, as specified, all written comments received from local agencies regarding land use and zoning matters that address the accuracy of the data used by the State Fire Marshal for the preliminary designation.
   5.  Coordinate with other state agencies to educate their constituencies on mitigation activities, fire insurance, and other related maps and models related to the preliminary designations
2. Defines stakeholder to mean fire departments, fire safe councils, and local agencies.
3. Authorizes a local agency to increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a parcel contains two or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply to the entire parcel.
4. Authorizes a local agency to include documentation of existing wildfire mitigation efforts or programs implemented locally within the FHSZs in its jurisdiction.
5. Requires the SFM to publish, within 60 days, the adopted local ordinances designating FHSZs on its internet website to ensure they are publicly available.
6. Requires, on or before January 1, 2030, and every five years thereafter, the SFM to review the local responsibility areas (LRA) lands, including areas identified as moderate, high, and very high fire FHSZs, and, as necessary, recommend changes. Requires review of LRA lands to coincide with the review of SRA lands every five years. 

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes the State Fire Marshal (SFM) as a component of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to foster, promote, and develop ways and means of protecting life and property against fire and panic. (Health & Safety Code Section 13100 – 13100.1)
2. Requires the SFM to 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. (Government Code Section 51178 & Public Resources Code Section 4202)
3. Establishes the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) to determine, establish, and maintain an adequate forest policy for the state, and protect all wildland forest resources in California that are not under federal jurisdiction. (Public Resources Code Section 740)
4. Requires the Board to classify all lands within the state, without regard to any classification of lands made by or for any federal agency or purpose, for the purpose of determining areas in which the financial responsibility of preventing and suppressing fires is primarily the responsibility of the state, commonly referred to as the “State Responsibility Area.” (Public Resources Code Section 4125 (a))
5. Provides that the following areas are not to be included in the State Responsibility Area:
   1. Lands owned or controlled by the federal government or any agency of the federal government; and
   2. Lands within the exterior boundaries of any city, except a city and county with a population of less than 25,000 if, at the time the city and county government is established, the county contains no municipal corporations, typically referred to as a local responsibility area. (Public Resources Code Section 4127)
6. Requires the SFM, by regulation, to designate FHSZs and assign to each zone a rating reflecting the degree of severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in the zone. Provides that no designation of a zone and assignment of a rating shall be adopted by the SFM until the proposed regulation has been transmitted to the board of supervisors of the county in which the zone is located at least 45 days before the adoption of the proposed regulation and a public hearing has been held in that county during that 45-day period. (Public Resources Code Section 4203)
7. Requires the SFM to periodically review zones designated and rated pursuant to current law and, as necessary, revise FHSZs or their ratings or repeal the designation of FHSZs. (Public Resources Code Section 4204)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. A fiscal committee has not analyzed this bill.

COMMENTS:

Author Statement: “Wildfires are an increasing reality for communities across California, and the way we plan for that risk matters. When the state updates fire hazard severity zone maps, local governments and residents deserve a clear understanding of what those changes mean and a chance to share their input. Assembly Bill 2517 helps make this process more transparent by requiring advance notice, public workshops, and opportunities for communities to provide feedback before maps are finalized. By improving communication and collaboration, we can help ensure communities are better informed and better prepared for wildfire risk.”

Equity Statement: “This bill may have a positive equity impact by increasing transparency and public participation in the fire hazard severity zone designation process. By requiring advance notice, public workshops, and opportunities for public comment, the bill helps ensure that local governments, residents, and community organizations have better access to information and the ability to provide input on decisions that affect wildfire risk and planning. These opportunities may be especially important for rural and under-resourced communities that are often more vulnerable to wildfire impacts but have fewer resources to engage in state processes.”

Wildfires: Wildfires are a severe and growing threat to lives, property, and infrastructure in California. The confluence of a changing climate, urbanization, and constraints on forest management increases the urgency to address this threat. According to data from CAL FIRE, 18 of California’s 20 most destructive fires have occurred in the past decade.^[1] Collectively, these fires have resulted in 231 deaths and the loss of 66, 810 structures (homes, outbuildings, and commercial properties). While fewer wildfires threatened California in 2023 due to the increased number of weather events and atmospheric rivers, the vegetative growth from the significant rainfall contributed to devastating wildfires in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, the Park Fire became the fourth-largest fire in California’s history. Despite aggressive initial attack suppression efforts, the fire rapidly expanded, ultimately consuming 429,603 acres across Butte and Tehama counties. The Park Fire led to the destruction of 713 structures and damage to 57 others, prompting widespread evacuations and the temporary closure of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

In January 2025, Los Angeles County experienced the second and third most destructive fires in California history: the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) estimated the fires’ total property and capital losses could range between $76 billion and $131 billion, with insured losses estimated up to $45 billion. At its height, the fires placed an estimated 331,335 people on an evacuation advisory, with nearly 192,000 residents facing mandatory evacuation and roughly 140,000 subject to warnings. The Eaton Fire resulted in 9,413 buildings being destroyed, 1,074 structures damaged, and 19 confirmed civilian fatalities. The Palisades Fire resulted in 6,833 structures destroyed, 973 structures damaged, and 12 confirmed civilian fatalities. The blazes burned a combined 37,728 acres and leveled entire communities in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of LA County.

Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ): As referenced above, Public Resource Code 4202 requires the SFM to classify lands within state responsibility areas into fire hazard severity zones. Each zone shall embrace relatively homogeneous lands and shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors present, including areas where winds have been identified by the department as a major cause of wildfire spread. Under Government Code 51178, the SFM is required to 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 SFM as a major cause of wildfire spread.

Once the SFM finalizes the FHSZ designation, the SFM sends the FHSZ maps, along with a model ordinance, to the local agency’s governing body for adoption. Local agencies are statutorily required to adopt an ordinance designating their FHSZs within 120 days from receiving the maps. The local agency may increase the severity level identified by the SFM or add additional areas within their jurisdiction, but they cannot reduce the severity level set by the SFM.

How are FHSZs determined?: According to CAL FIRE, “the best available science and data were used to develop and field test a model that now serves as the basis of zone assignments. The model evaluated the probability of the area burning and potential fire behavior in the area. Many factors were included such as fire history, vegetation, flame length, blowing embers, proximity to wildland, terrain, and weather.”

Arguments in Support: According to the League of Cities, the American Planning Association, California State Association of Counties, and others, “The local responsibility area (LRA) FHSZ designations are only required to be periodically re-reviewed every five years and existing statute does not require comprehensive updates to the designations. Prior to the most recent release in 2025, the LRA FHSZ maps had not been updated over the past 15 years. Important concerns were raised last year when the maps were updated, including the accuracy of land use information, including split parcels with multiple designations and the classification of developed areas such as parking lots and bodies of water being designated as very high fire hazard severity zones. These issues create challenges for local jurisdictions who are required to adopt these maps by ordinance and host public comment locally without the ability to respond to the public concerns regarding the model and data.”

They continue, “AB 2517 would address these concerns by clarifying how and when the LRA FHSZ maps are updated, including how the public can engage meaningfully in the process. The bill would establish a five-year update cycle for the LRA FHSZ maps, a preliminary public release of the maps, require the disclosure of the data, models, and methodology used to develop the designations, and provide opportunities for regional workshops and public comment before maps are transmitted to the local agency for local ordinance adoption. These steps are critical to ensuring public transparency and consistency in how these maps are updated to help protect communities from the threat of wildfires.”

Double Referral: This bill passed the Committee on Natural Resources with a 14-0-0 vote.

Prior and Related Legislation:

AB 261 (Quirk Silva, 2025). This bill would have authorized the State Fire Marshal (SFM), in periods between the SFM’s review of state responsibility areas (SRAs) and non-SRAs regarding fire hazard severity zones (FHSZs), to confer with entities on actions that may impact the degree of fire hazard in that area and authorizes those entities to provide information to the SFM on wildfire safety improvements, as specified. (Held in Senate Appropriations)

AB 300 (Lackey, 2025) This bill would have required the SFM to review and update the following statutorily required actions every 5 years: identify areas as moderate, high, and very high severity zones, as specified; review the areas identified very high severity zones and make recommendations, as specified; classify lands within state responsibility areas into fire hazard severity zones; and review, and revise as necessary, zone designations, as specified. (Held in Senate Appropriations)

AB 3150 (Quirk-Silva, 2024). This bill would have revised existing fire safety laws by requiring the State Fire Marshal (SFM) to review and update fire hazard severity zones every five years, involve public agencies and other entities in fire hazard assessments, and adopt updated regulations for defensible space and fuel management. In addition, this bill would have shifted responsibilities for maintaining fire safety standards from the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (BOF) to the SFM and expand the definition of a person responsible for maintaining defensible space to include certain public agencies. (Held in Senate Appropriations)

SB 610 (Wiener, 2024) would have eliminated the state’s fire hazard severity mapping for the state responsibility area (SRA) and local responsibility area (LRA) and requires the State Fire Marshal to designate Wildfire Mitigation Area (WMA), through regulations, for fire mitigation across the state. (Held in the Senate Appropriations Committee).

AB 9 (Wood), Chapter 225, Statutes of 2021. Established the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation in the Office of the SFM to be responsible for fire preparedness and mitigation missions of CAL FIRE.

SB 63 (Stern), Chapter 382, Statutes of 2021. Made multiple changes in state law to enhance fire prevention efforts by CAL FIRE, including, among other things, improved vegetation management and expanding the area where fire safety building standards apply.

AB 3074 (Friedman), Chapter 259, Statutes of 2020. Establishes, upon appropriation, an ember-resistant zone within five feet of a structure as part of the defensible space requirements for structures located in specified high fire hazard areas. This bill requires removal of material from the ember-resistant zone based on the probability that vegetation and fuel will lead to ignition of the structure by embers.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

American Planning Association, California Chapter
California Association of Realtors
California Building Officials
California State Association of Counties (CSAC)
California Water Association
City of Artesia
City of Belmont
City of Beverly Hills
City of Bradbury
City of Brentwood
City of Buena Park
City of Carlsbad
City of Carpinteria
City of Chino Hills;
City of Emeryville
City of Folsom
City of Glendora
City of La Quinta,
City of LA Verne
City of Laguna Beach
City of Laguna Niguel
City of Lake Forest
City of Lakeport
City of Lomita
City of Los Alamitos
City of Mission Viejo
City of Moorpark
City of Moreno Valley
City of Morro Bay
City of Murrieta
City of Palm Springs,
City of Paramount
City of Paso Robles
City of Paso Robles Fire Department
City of Pico Rivera
City of Pittsburg
City of Rancho Santa Margarita
City of Rocklin
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of San Clemente
City of San Luis Obispo
City of Stanton
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Tracy
City of Union City
City of Ventura
City of Vista
City of Walnut Creek
City of Whittier
League of California Cities
Mt Shasta
Redwood Empire Division, League of California Cities
Sonoma County Mayors' and Councilmembers' Association
West Hollywood/Hernan Molina, Governmental Affairs Liaison

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Ryan Fleming / E.M. / (916) 319-3802

1. Statistics, CAL FIRE https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics ↑

Date of Hearing: April 6, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Isaac G. Bryan, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2517 (

Author:Calderon) – As Introduced Ver:February 20, 2026

SUBJECT: Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones

SUMMARY: Establishes a process for public engagement for the State Fire Marshal’s (SFM) development of fire hazard severity zone (FHSZ) maps.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires the SFM to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high FHSZ based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Requires moderate, high, and very high FHSZs to be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors including areas where winds have been identified by the SFM as a major cause of wildfire spread. (Government Code (GC) 51178)
2. Requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high FHSZs in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the SFM pursuant to GC 51178. (GC 51179 (a))
3. Authorizes a local agency, at its discretion, to include areas within the jurisdiction of the local agency, not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones (VHFHSZ) by the SFM, as VHFHSZ following a finding supported by substantial evidence in the record that the requirements of GC 51182 are necessary for effective fire protection within the area. (GC 51179 (b))
4. Requires the SFM to periodically review the areas in the state identified as VHFHSZs, and as necessary, make recommendations relative to VHFHSZs. Requires this review to coincide with the review of state responsibility area (SRA) lands every five years and, when possible, fall within the time frames for each county’s general plan update. Any revision of areas included in a very high fire hazard severity zone shall be made in accordance with Sections 51178 and 51179. (GC 51181)
5. Requires, pursuant to regulations adopted by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains an occupied dwelling or occupied structure within a VHFHSZ designated by a local agency pursuant to GC 51179 to maintain specified defensible space requirements. (GC 51182)

THIS BILL:

1. Requires the SFM, no fewer than 180 days before finalizing the FHSZ designations, to do all of the following:
   1. Post draft maps of preliminary designations on its public internet website to ensure the preliminary designations are available for public review and comment;
   2. Post the data inputs, model, and methodology used to develop the preliminary designations on its public internet website;
   3. Conduct regional, public workshops on the draft maps before initiating the public comment period to receive oral public comments. Provide at least one online virtual option for public participation in a workshop. Consider, within 30 days of a public regional workshop, all oral public comments received;
   4. Host a 30-day public comment period for interested stakeholders to provide written comment on the draft maps. Requires the SFM to respond to, within 30 days of the end of the public comment period, all written comments received from local agencies regarding land use and zoning matters; and,
   5. Coordinate with other state agencies to help educate the public during the public workshops on the following topics related to the preliminary designations:
      1. Mitigation activities;
      2. Fire insurance; and,
      3. Other related maps and models.
2. Requires the SFM to finalize the FHSZ designations and transmit the maps identifying the FHSZs to the appropriate local agency.
3. Authorizes a local agency, at its discretion, to increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a parcel contains two or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply to the entire parcel.
4. Requires the SFM to publish, within 60 days, the adopted local ordinances designating FHSZs on its internet website to ensure they are publicly available.
5. Requires, on or before January 1, 2030, and every five years thereafter, the SFM to review the local responsibility areas (LRA) lands, including areas identified as moderate, high, and very high fire FHSZs, and, as necessary, recommend changes. Requires review of LRA lands to coincide with the review of SRA lands every five years. 

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

1. Author’s statement:

Wildfires are an increasing reality for communities across California, and the way we plan for that risk matters. When the state updates fire hazard severity zone maps, local governments and residents deserve a clear understanding of what those changes mean and a chance to share their input. Assembly Bill 2517 helps make this process more transparent by requiring advance notice, public workshops, and opportunities for communities to provide feedback before maps are finalized. By improving communication and collaboration, we can help ensure communities are better informed and better prepared for wildfire risk.

1. Fire Hazard Severity Zones. FHSZs are categorized as moderate, high, and very high based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. FHSZ maps evaluate “hazard” based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50-year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, defensible space, vegetation management, or fuel reduction efforts. The fire hazard severity model for wildland fire has two key elements: probability of an area burning and expected fire behavior under extreme fuel and weather conditions.

Classification of each zone is based on the average hazard across the zone, which have a minimum size of 200 acres. In wildlands, hazard is a function of modeled flame length under the worst conditions and annual burn probability. Both these factors generally increase with increasing hazard level, but there may be instances where one value is ‘very high’ and the other is low, pushing the overall hazard into a more intermediate ranking. On average, both modeled flame length and burn probability increase by roughly 40-60% between hazard classes. Classification outside of wildland areas is based on the fire hazard of the adjacent wildland and the probability of flames and embers threatening buildings.

In 2007, CAL FIRE mapped the three tiered FHSZs for the SRA and the VHFHSZ for the lands managed locally in the LRA, which includes incorporated cities, urban regions, agriculture lands, and portions of the desert where the local government is responsible for wildfire protection.

SB 63 (Stern), Chapter 382, Statutes of 2021, required CAL FIRE to adopt of the FHSZs in the LRA. The maps – including updated maps for the SRA – were released last year. Approximately 1.2 million acres are now mapped as VHFHSZ – a 35% increase from the old maps published between 2007 and 2011. There are 1.4 million covered acres in the high and very high FHSZs combined. Including all three zones, a total of 6.8 million acres across the state are mapped in a FHSZ. Approximately one in four residential structures in California is located within or near high or very high FHSZ under the new maps.

CAL FIRE uses the same modeling data that are used to map the SRA to develop the FHSZs in the LRA. Creating maps is a laborious process that requires scrutinizing detailed data across the state, including small pockets of potentially flammable wildlands within cities, and then coordinating with hundreds of local jurisdictions for validation of the mapping.

The FHSZs are used for several purposes, including to designate areas where California’s defensible space standards and wildland urban interface (WUI) building codes are required.

1. SFM process for developing the FHSZs. The SFM designates the FHZS maps based on science and measured fire hazard. Many factors are included such as fire history, vegetation, flame length, blowing embers, proximity to wildland, terrain, and weather. How local governments have zoned their jurisdictions in the LRA is not a determining factor for identifying fire hazard. Neither are impacts on the real estate market, local businesses, or defensible space compliance costs. The maps are simply an indication of fire hazard that subsequently informs how new structures are built, which defensible space requirements may apply, local evacuation planning, and other safety elements for mapped communities. However, local governments’ zoning and land use information may elucidate the current vegetation status of a parcel or area that the SFM’s technologies may not have current information about.

This bill requires the SFM, at least 180 days before finalizing the FHSZ maps, to post draft maps online, make available their models and methodologies used for designating the maps, and conduct public workshops to solicit public comments. Further, the bill requires the SFM to respond to all written comments received from local agencies regarding land use and zoning matters.

Development of the FHSZ maps are not subject to the Administrative Procedures Act, which means there is no opportunity for local governments to actively track or participate in the maps’ development. Without insight into that process, local governments can feel challenged complying within 120 days with adoption of their own ordinance that accurately reflects their districts.

To prevent creating a public process that could potentially frustrate and/or delay adoption of the maps due to irrelevant comments that shouldn’t influence the fire hazard designation, the bill could be tailored to local government input that is germane to the lands being assessed for fire hazard.

1. Local maps. Once the SFM finalizes the FHSZ designation, it transmits the maps identifying the FHSZs along with a model ordinance to the governing body of a local agency for adoption.

Under current law, local agencies have 120 days from receipt of the state’s recommendations to designate FHSZs by ordinance. A local agency may, at its discretion, increase the level of FHSZ identified by the SFM, or include areas within its jurisdiction into its FHSZ ordinance, but a local agency may not decrease the level of FHSZ identified by the SFM.

The SFM’s regulations^[1] require, within 30 days of adopting a local ordinance designating VHFHSZ, a local agency to transmit a copy of the ordinance and a map to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) and any information about the decision to include areas within the jurisdiction as VHFHSZ that were not identified as such by SFM.

This bill creates redundancy with the SFM’s requirements to transmit the maps identifying the FHSZs to the appropriate local agency, but also makes an important clarification in local FHSZ mapping by requiring a local agency to increase the level of fire hazard severity applicable to a parcel in its jurisdiction if a parcel contains two or more designations, so that the higher level of fire hazard severity would apply to the entire parcel.

1. Double referral. This bill is also referred to the Assembly Emergency Management Committee.
2. Committee amendments. The committee may wish to consider amending the bill to eliminate redundancies, truncate the public process to require one online public workshop, and clarify the relevant stakeholders submitting comments to the SFM.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

American Planning Association, California Chapter

California Association of Realtors
California Building Officials
California State Association of Counties
California Water Association
City of Artesia, California
City of Belmont
City of Brentwood
City of Buena Park
City of Carpinteria
City of Folsom, California
City of Glendora
City of LA Quinta
City of LA Verne
City of Laguna Niguel
City of Lakeport
City of Lomita
City of Los Alamitos
City of Moorpark
City of Paso Robles Fire Department
City of Pittsburg
City of Rancho Santa Margarita
City of Rocklin
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of San Clemente
City of Stanton
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Tracy
City of Ventura
City of Vista

City of Walnut Creek
City of Whittier
City of Laguna Beach
City of Mission Viejo
City of Murrieta
City of Palm Springs
City of Paso Robles

League of California Cities
Redwood Empire Division, League of California Cities

Riverside County, California
West Hollywood/Hernan Molina, Governmental Affairs Liaison

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Paige Brokaw / NAT. RES. /

1. California Code of Regulations, Title 14, sec. 1280.02 (a) ↑