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 โ the โvery high fire hazard severity zoneโ โ increased by 26% in the region, meaning that more residents will have to remove flammable plants and materials around their homes and will have to have properties inspected before a sale.
The maps are part of a 40-year-old program in which the state Forestry and Fire Protection Department, or Cal Fire, periodically documents areas that are most prone to having a wildfire within the next several decades. Using data on variables such as climate, vegetation, terrain and fire history, Cal Fire calculates whether the probability of wildfire in a given area is moderate, high or very high. The previous maps only designated land in very-high fire hazard zones.
