Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, until January 1, 2026, to establish a statewide program to allow qualifying entities to support and augment the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts and requires the director to establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by qualifying entities, to be reported to the department, among other things.

Existing law requires the department, until January 1, 2026, to develop and implement a training program to train individuals to support and augment the department in its defensible and home hardening assessment and public education efforts.

This bill would extend those programs to January 1, 2031.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anna Caballero, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular Session

SB 662 (Alvarado-Gil) - Wildfires: defensible space: education efforts

Bill Summary:

This bill would extend for five years the sunsets on the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s statewide program to support its defensible space inspection and home hardening assessment and education efforts, including its training pilot program for volunteers to January 1, 2031, as provided.

Fiscal Impact:

• Unknown, potentially significant cost pressure (General Fund) to continue providing funding for CalFire’s statewide program to support its defensible space inspection and home hardening assessment and education efforts, including its training pilot program for volunteers, for 5 years after these programs otherwise would have sunset.
• Unknown, potentially significant cost pressure (General Fund) to continue or scale up this program following the new January 1, 2031 sunset that would be established by this bill.

Background:

In certain areas of the state, homeowners are required to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around their homes where vegetation is cut back or trimmed to reduce the amount of flammable materials around the home. These science-based standards are stricter within 30 feet of a home, and, will become stricter yet within five feet of a home later this year. Home hardening means incorporating more inflammable materials in the construction of the home, such as flame-resistant roofing material and fine mesh on vents to prevent embers from entering attic space, among other things. In addition to hardened homes, community hardening also includes strategic fire breaks and community design informed by wildland fire risk.

New wildfire prevention activities include the direction to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to implement new regulations for the area within 5 feet around a home or structure (“zone zero” or the “ember-resistant zone”), as noted above; renewed emphases on vegetation management through prescribed and cultural fire; more fire-resistant building standards for new homes at risk from wildfire; and renewed efforts to provide transparency to defensible space inspection data and public outreach.

Among other provisions, SB 63 (Stern, Chapter 382, Statutes of 2021) required the Director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire director) to establish a statewide program to allow certain “qualified entities” - such as members of the California Conservation Corps or others that have received appropriate trainings – to support and augment CalFire’s defensible space inspection and home hardening assessment and education efforts. The qualified entities could conduct defensible space assessments to evaluate compliance with defensible space requirements in the state responsibility area, educate property owners about wildfire safety improvement to harden a structure and assess whether these improvements had been completed on a structure. The benefit of the assessments performed by others was to help improve compliance with defensible space requirements and direct CalFire’s attention and effort to non-compliant properties. The bill also required a common reporting platform to be established for defensible space assessment and inspection efforts in both the state and local responsibility areas, and the development of a training pilot program to train and certify volunteers to perform these assessments. These provisions sunset on January 1, 2026.

The pilot program to train volunteers – the Defensible Space Assessor training program – is fully developed and implemented according to CalFire. The program includes training for both defensible space and home hardening. Between 2023 and early 2025, 15 classes have been held with 311 participants receiving certification. Three additional classes are scheduled for Butte, Mendocino, and San Diego Counties. Firesafe councils, Firewise USA communities, and resource conservation districts have been the source of many pilot program participants. CalFire’s defensible space inspection form has been adapted for use by others to perform their assessments, and a new home hardening form has also been developed for use. These completed forms are typically left with the property owner to identify where the assessments have shown success and where more needs to be done.

In Fiscal Year 2024/2025 thus far, 1,314 primary and 169 auxiliary structures have been assessed, primarily in the SRA and by certified California Conservation Corps personnel. For context, CalFire reports there are approximately 800,000 structures in the SRA, and a ballpark estimate is that there are about 700,000 homes in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) in the local responsibility area (LRA) where defensible space requirements apply. CalFire’s goal is to complete 250,000 defensible space inspections annually.

The common reporting platform authorized in SB 63 has been developed – the Defensible Space Data Dashboard – and is available through links at CalFire’s website. About one dozen local entities or jurisdictions regularly submit data to the common reporting platform.

Proposed Law:

This bill would extend the sunsets on CalFire’s statewide program to support its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts, including its training program for volunteers for five years to January 1, 2031, as provided.

Related Legislation:

SB 653 (Cortese, 2025) would define environmentally sensitive vegetation management for the purposes of certain wildfire-related grant programs in Proposition 4.

SB 514 (Cabaldon, 2025) would remove the sunset entirely on the two provisions in this bill, among other provisions.

SB 375 (Grove, 2025) would establish a process to facilitate the approval of an incidental take permit, if any, needed by a local agency to undertaken wildfire preparedness activities, and exempt from CEQA requirements and coastal development permit requirements, projects for the reduction of fuels in MFHSZ, HFHSZ, and VHFHSZ, as provided.

SB 326 (Becker, 2025) would require the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast every three years for the state delineated on a statewide level and by county, and a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report every year, as provided.

AB 1457 (Bryan, 2025) would remove the sunset entirely on the two provisions in this bill, among other provisions.

AB 846 (Connolly, 2025) would establish a process to facilitate the approval of an incidental take permit, if any, needed by a local agency to undertaken wildfire preparedness activities, among other provisions.

AB 441 (Hadwick, 2025) would extend the sunset on the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development at CalFire, and the sunset on the Office of Emergency Services and CalFire comprehensive wildfire mitigation program.

SB 1014 (Dodd, 2024) would have required the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast every three years for the state delineated on a statewide level and by county, and a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report every year. (This bill was held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.)

AB 2330 (Holden, 2024) would have established a process to facilitate the approval of an incidental take permit, if any, needed by a local agency to undertaken wildfire preparedness activities, among other provisions, as provided. (This bill was vetoed by Governor Newsom.)

SB 436 (Dodd, 2023) would have required the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast every three years for the state delineated on a statewide level and by county, and a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report every year. (This bill was held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.)

SB 456 (Laird, Chapter 387, Statutes of 2021) required the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy to track implementation of its Action Plan. This strategy must address, among others, strengthening the protection of communities and reducing their fire risk, including a statewide framework to support local and regional community fire risk reduction and adaptation programs and projects.

SB 109 (Dodd, Chapter 239, Statutes of 2021) established the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development within CalFire, and the Wildfire Technology Research and Development Review Advisory Board to conduct research and testing on emerging technologies to prevent, predict, and fight wildfires, as provided.

SB 63 (Stern, Chapter 382, Statutes of 2021) made multiple changes to state law to enhance CalFire’s fire prevention efforts, including, among other things, improved vegetation management, and expanding the areas where enhanced fire safety building standards apply.

AB 9 (Wood, Chapter 225, Statutes of 2021) codified the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program, created the deputy director role within the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and transferred certain duties related to fire safety and wildfire prevention from CalFire to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

AB 642 (Friedman, Chapter 375, Statutes of 2021), among other things, directed CalFire, on or before July 1, 2023, to make recommendations on how to understand and model wildfire risk for a community and specific parcels within the LRA or SRA through the input of mitigating factors.

AB 3074 (Friedman, Chapter 259, Statutes of 2020) created 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.

SB 209 (Dodd, Chapter 405, Statutes of 2019) required the Office of Emergency Services and CalFire to jointly establish and lead the Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center, as specified.

AB 38 (Wood, Chapter 391, Statutes of 2019) required the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with CalFire to administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program to encourage cost-effective structure hardening and facilitate vegetation management.

SB 901 (Dodd, Chapter 626, Statutes of 2018) addresses numerous issues concerning wildfire prevention, response, and recovery, including funding for mutual aid, fuel reduction and forestry policies, wildfire mitigation plans by electric utilities, and cost recovery by electric corporations of wildfire-related damages.

Staff Comments:

In 2023, three training classes were held, and in 2024 10 training classes were held certifying over 200 participants. Regardless of recent increases in CalFire staffing, there continues to be a role for volunteers in the community in performing defensible space and home hardening assessments, and, importantly, public education and outreach. While the total number of assessments is relatively low – given the number needed to be performed annually – it is a positive development, and more data will be needed to more fully evaluate the program. The CalFire public dashboard for defensible space helps to provide consistency in how assessment and inspection data are reported, although it is not yet in widespread use for assessments and inspections in the LRA.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER

Senator Monique Limón, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular

Bill No: SB 662 Hearing Date: April 8, 2025

Subject: Wildfires: defensible space: education efforts

SUMMARY

This bill would extend for five years the sunsets on the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s statewide program to support its defensible space inspection and home hardening assessment and education efforts, including its training pilot program for volunteers to January 1, 2031, as provided.

BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

1. Catastrophic and devastating wildfires have occurred repeatedly in the state in recent years. Thirteen of the 20 largest and 15 of the 20 most destructive wildland fires in state history have occurred since 2015. The 2020 August Complex Fire in northern California – the largest fire in California’s modern history – burned over one million acres while the 2021 Dixie Fire burned almost one million acres. Two wildland fires in recent years burned over the crest of the Sierras, which had not been previously observed. In the last several years, tens of thousands of structures – mostly homes – have been destroyed from wildland fire, insured losses incurred are in the billions of dollars, prime habitat has been destroyed or damaged, and, tragically, hundreds of lives have been lost. Most recently, the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles in January resulted in the loss of approximately 16,250 structures and 29 deaths. In addition, millions of Californians have been exposed to unhealthy air quality due to the wildfires.
2. While wildfire is a natural phenomenon in the state, the changing climate, continuing development in the Wildland-Urban Interface, and poor forest and wildland vegetation management practices in the last century have resulted in more extreme wildland fire behavior. In response, wildfire prevention is an increasing focus. Since the Camp Fire in 2018, in particular, new laws and budget actions have supplemented or established multiple programs to improve stewardship of forest and wildlands, compliance with defensible space requirements around structures, and the availability of property insurance, and require or enhance home and community hardening.
3. In certain areas of the state, homeowners are required to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around their homes where vegetation is cut back or trimmed to reduce the amount of flammable materials around the home. These science-based standards are stricter within 30 feet of a home, and, will become stricter yet within five feet of a home later this year. Home hardening means incorporating more inflammable materials in the construction of the home, such as flame-resistant roofing material and fine mesh on vents to prevent embers from entering attic space, among other things. In addition to hardened homes, community hardening also includes strategic fire breaks and community design informed by wildland fire risk.^[1]
4. New wildfire prevention activities include the direction to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to implement new regulations for the area within 5 feet around a home or structure (“zone zero” or the “ember-resistant zone”), as noted above; renewed emphases on vegetation management through prescribed and cultural fire; more fire-resistant building standards for new homes at risk from wildfire; and renewed efforts to provide transparency to defensible space inspection data and public outreach.
5. Among other provisions, SB 63 (Stern, Chapter 382, Statutes of 2021) required the Director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE director) to establish a statewide program to allow certain “qualified entities” - such as members of the California Conservation Corps or others that have received appropriate trainings – to support and augment CAL FIRE’s defensible space inspection and home hardening assessment and education efforts. The qualified entities could conduct defensible space assessments to evaluate compliance with defensible space requirements in the state responsibility area, educate property owners about wildfire safety improvement to harden a structure and assess whether these improvements had been completed on a structure. The benefit of the assessments performed by others was to help improve compliance with defensible space requirements and direct CAL FIRE’s attention and effort to non-compliant properties. The bill also required a common reporting platform to be established for defensible space assessment and inspection efforts in both the state and local responsibility areas, and the development of a training pilot program to train and certify volunteers to perform these assessments. These provisions sunset on January 1, 2026.
6. The pilot program to train volunteers – the Defensible Space Assessor training program – is fully developed and implemented according to CAL FIRE. The program includes training for both defensible space and home hardening. Between 2023 and early 2025, 15 classes have been held with 311 participants receiving certification. Three additional classes are scheduled for Butte, Mendocino, and San Diego Counties. Firesafe councils, Firewise USA communities, and resource conservation districts have been the source of many pilot program participants. CAL FIRE’s defensible space inspection form has been adapted for use by others to perform their assessments, and a new home hardening form has also been developed for use. These completed forms are typically left with the property owner to identify where the assessments have shown success and where more needs to be done.
7. In Fiscal Year 2024/2025 thus far, 1,314 primary and 169 auxiliary structures have been assessed, primarily in the SRA and by certified California Conservation Corps personnel. For context, CAL FIRE reports there are approximately 800,000 structures in the SRA, and a ballpark estimate is that there are about 700,000 homes^[2] in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) in the local responsibility area (LRA) where defensible space requirements apply. CAL FIRE’s goal is to complete 250,000 defensible space inspections annually.
8. The common reporting platform authorized in SB 63 has been developed – the Defensible Space Data Dashboard – and is available through links at CAL FIRE’s website. About one dozen local entities or jurisdictions regularly submit data to the common reporting platform.

Existing law:

1. Establishes the CAL FIRE in the California Natural Resources Agency.
   1. The State Fire Marshal, while originally established as distinct entity is now incorporated entirely within CAL FIRE where the State Fire Marshal is a Chief Deputy Director. (Health and Safety Code 13100)
2. Requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to classify all lands within the state for the purpose of determining areas in which the financial responsibility of preventing and suppressing fires is primarily the responsibility of the state. This is the state responsibility area (SRA).
   1. The SRA includes about 31 million acres of which about 55% is categorized as very high risk, 33% is high risk, and another 12% is of moderate risk.
3. Requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas of the state in the LRA as Medium Fire Hazard Severity Zone (MFHSZ), High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (HFHSZ), and VHFHSZ based upon specified criteria.
   1. The VHFHSZ in the LRA is about 705,000 acres currently and is likely to increase when the new LRA maps are adopted later this year.
4. Requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining land that is covered with flammable material in the SRA or VHFHSZ/LRA, as designated by a local agency, to maintain a defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, as specified.
   1. Vegetation clearance on an adjacent property shall only be conducted following the written consent of the adjacent property’s owner.
   2. The most intensive fuels management is required within 30 feet of a structure, and there will be additional regulations developed for the newly-established 5 foot ember-resistant zone around a structure.
5. Requires the CAL FIRE director to establish a statewide program to allow qualified entities to support and augment CAL FIRE in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts. (Public Resources Code (PRC) §4291.5b)
   1. Requires the CAL FIRE director to authorize qualified entities participating in the program to conduct defensible space assessments to assess compliance with defensible space requirements within the SRA, educate property owners about wildfire safety improvements that may be undertaken to harden a structure, and assess whether wildfire safety improvements have been completed in or on a structure, as provided. (PRC §4291.5b)
   2. Defines “home hardening” to mean the replacement or repair of structural features with features in compliance with Chapter 7A of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. Defines “qualified entities” to mean entities, including individuals, who have completed certification training such as members of the California Conservation Corps, among others. Defines “wildfire safety improvements” to mean wildfire resilience and fire safety improvements, as specified. (PRC §4291.5a)
6. Requires the CAL FIRE director to establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by the qualified entities, to be reported to CAL FIRE, as provided. (PRC §4291.5c)
7. Authorizes the CAL FIRE director to use the defensible space and home hardening assessment data to direct inspection and enforcement resources towards landowners who do not meet defensible space requirements, as specified, among other uses of the data. (PRC §4291.5d)
8. Requires a local governmental entity to report defensible space assessment and inspection data via the common reporting platform. (PRC §4291.5g)
9. Requires CAL FIRE to develop and implement a pilot training program to train individuals to support and augment CAL FIRE in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and public education efforts.
   1. Requires the training program to provide consistent training for third-party assessors to provide non-regulatory assistance to homeowners to reduce fire risk and achieve compliance with defensible space requirements.
   2. Requires the programs undertaken by CAL FIRE and the third-parties are conducted to the same standard and use coordinated messaging.
   3. Requires CAL FIRE to issue a certification of completion to an individual who successfully completes the training program. (PRC §4291.6)
10. Sunsets 5) – 9) on January 1, 2026.

PROPOSED LAW

This bill would extend the sunsets on CAL FIRE’s statewide program to support its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts, including its training program for volunteers for five years to January 1, 2031, as provided.

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT

According to the author, “California has experienced increasingly severe wildfires over the past two decades due to climate change, prolonged droughts, and accumulated dry vegetation. Some of the most destructive fires in state history – such as the Camp Fire (2018), the Caldor Fire (2021), the Dixie Fire (2021) and Los Angeles County Fires (2025) – have destroyed thousands of homes and caused significant loss of life. To combat these growing wildfire threats, California has enacted defensible space and home hardening laws, requiring property owners to maintain a buffer zone around structures and use fire-resistant building materials. However, compliance has been inconsistent, and enforcement agencies like CAL FIRE often lack the resources to inspect and educate all at-risk homeowners. SB 662 strengthens California’s wildfire resilience, protects communities, and reduces the overall impact of wildfires. Extending education and assessment programs ensures continued training and support for property owners to improve fire safety. Furthermore, this measure allows local governments, conservation groups, and trained volunteers to assist in wildfire risk assessments, reducing the burden on CAL FIRE. By extending these critical programs, SB 662 sustains the progress made in wildfire education, compliance, and enforcement, helping California better prepare for future wildfires.”

ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION

None received

COMMENTS

Training program is ramping up. In 2023, three training classes were held, and in 2024 10 training classes were held certifying over 200 participants. Regardless of recent increases in CAL FIRE staffing, there continues to be a role for volunteers in the community in performing defensible space and home hardening assessments, and, importantly, public education and outreach. While the total number of assessments is relatively low – given the number needed to be performed annually – it is a positive development, and more data will be needed to more fully evaluate the program. The CAL FIRE public dashboard for defensible space helps to provide consistency in how assessment and inspection data are reported, although it is not yet in widespread use for assessments and inspections in the LRA.

Local requirements may be stricter. Local ordinances regulating defensible space may be stricter than that required by state law.

Multiple bills address these same code sections. There are two active Senate bills and one active Assembly bill that remove or extend the sunset on these two code sections. Both of the Senate bills are before this Committee. As the bills proceed, the authors may wish to work this out.

Recent related legislation

SB 653 (Cortese, 2025) would define environmentally sensitive vegetation management for the purposes of certain wildfire-related grant programs in Proposition 4. (This bill is pending before this Committee.)

SB 514 (Cabaldon, 2025) would remove the sunset entirely on the two provisions in this bill, among other provisions. (This bill is pending before this Committee.)

SB 375 (Grove, 2025) would establish a process to facilitate the approval of an incidental take permit, if any, needed by a local agency to undertaken wildfire preparedness activities, and exempt from CEQA requirements and coastal development permit requirements, projects for the reduction of fuels in MFHSZ, HFHSZ, and VHFHSZ, as provided. (This bill is pending before this Committee.)

SB 326 (Becker, 2025) would require the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast every three years for the state delineated on a statewide level and by county, and a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report every year, as provided. (This bill is pending before this Committee.)

AB 1457 (Bryan, 2025) would remove the sunset entirely on the two provisions in this bill, among other provisions. (This bill is pending before the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.)

AB 846 (Connolly, 2025) would establish a process to facilitate the approval of an incidental take permit, if any, needed by a local agency to undertaken wildfire preparedness activities, among other provisions. (This bill is pending before the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee.)

AB 441 (Hadwick, 2025) would extend the sunset on the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development at CAL FIRE, and the sunset on the Office of Emergency Services and CAL FIRE comprehensive wildfire mitigation program. (This bill is pending before the Assembly Emergency Management Committee.)

SB 1014 (Dodd, 2024) would have required the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast every three years for the state delineated on a statewide level and by county, and a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report every year. (This bill was held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.)

AB 2330 (Holden, 2024) would have established a process to facilitate the approval of an incidental take permit, if any, needed by a local agency to undertaken wildfire preparedness activities, among other provisions, as provided. (This bill was vetoed by Governor Newsom.)

SB 436 (Dodd, 2023) would have required the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years to quantitatively evaluate wildfire risk mitigation actions, a Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast every three years for the state delineated on a statewide level and by county, and a Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report every year. (This bill was held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.)

SB 456 (Laird, Chapter 387, Statutes of 2021) required the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy to track implementation of its Action Plan. This strategy must address, among others, strengthening the protection of communities and reducing their fire risk, including a statewide framework to support local and regional community fire risk reduction and adaptation programs and projects.

SB 109 (Dodd, Chapter 239, Statutes of 2021) established the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development within CAL FIRE, and the Wildfire Technology Research and Development Review Advisory Board to conduct research and testing on emerging technologies to prevent, predict, and fight wildfires, as provided.

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

AB 9 (Wood, Chapter 225, Statutes of 2021) codified the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program, created the deputy director role within the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and transferred certain duties related to fire safety and wildfire prevention from CAL FIRE to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

AB 642 (Friedman, Chapter 375, Statutes of 2021), among other things, directed CAL FIRE, on or before July 1, 2023, to make recommendations on how to understand and model wildfire risk for a community and specific parcels within the LRA or SRA through the input of mitigating factors.

AB 3074 (Friedman, Chapter 259, Statutes of 2020) created 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.

SB 209 (Dodd, Chapter 405, Statutes of 2019) required the Office of Emergency Services and CAL FIRE to jointly establish and lead the Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center, as specified.

AB 38 (Wood, Chapter 391, Statutes of 2019) required the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with CAL FIRE to administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program to encourage cost-effective structure hardening and facilitate vegetation management.

SB 901 (Dodd, Chapter 626, Statutes of 2018) addresses numerous issues concerning wildfire prevention, response, and recovery, including funding for mutual aid, fuel reduction and forestry policies, wildfire mitigation plans by electric utilities, and cost recovery by electric corporations of wildfire-related damages.

SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS: none

SUPPORT

None received

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

1. Although it is beyond the scope of the discussion here, it is important to note that defensible space, home hardening, and community fire safety requirements at a particular location may vary depending upon the fire hazard severity zone. In the state responsibility area (SRA) – generally unincorporated wildlands – where the state has financial responsibility for wildland fire protection and prevention, CAL FIRE is responsible for fire prevention and suppression. In the local responsibility area (LRA) – such as in urban regions – the local jurisdiction is responsible for wildfire protection. Within the SRA and LRA, the fire hazard severity zone – based upon topographic, vegetation, and meteorological factors, among others – is classified as moderate, high, or very high (MFHSZ, HFHSZ, and VHFHSZ). Some locations may also be deemed “unclassified” which is less than moderate. Defensible space requirements apply in all of the SRA and in the VHFHSZ in the LRA. Home hardening standards for new development apply in the SRA, VHFHSZ/LRA and HFHSZ/LRA. Certain community fire safety requirements apply in the SRA and the VHFHSZ/LRA. Lands can be re-classified between the LRA and SRA. While the SRA FHSZ maps were recently updated, the process to update the LRA FHSZ maps is underway now and more of the LRA is likely to be classified as HFHSZ or VHFHSZ than in the 2007 maps when the maps are adopted at the local level. ↑

2. Per the 2021 Legislative Analyst’s Office report “Promoting Defensible Space in California.” The number of homes and parcels inside the VHFHSZ/LRA is anticipated to change as the draft fire hazard severity zone maps are incorporated into local ordinances over the coming year. ↑