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Fire Prevention

Fire Hazard Severity Zone

A Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) map identifies areas with different levels of wildfire hazard potential. These zones are categorized as Moderate, High, or Very High based on factors like terrain, vegetation, fire history, and local weather, and they help communities understand and plan for wildfire risk.

Key aspects of FHSZ maps

  • Scope: Recent legislation expanded the mapping to identify Moderate and High zones in addition to Very High zones, providing a more complete picture of fire hazard in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Local Responsibility Areas (LRA).
  • Responsibility Area Is the geographic area identifying wildfire suppression responsibility.  LRA’s fall under the local fire department within the city limits, while SRA’s typically cover county and state lands.
  • Hazard maps measure “hazard,” which is the natural likelihood of fire based on long-term physical conditions, not “risk.”
  • Risk measures mitigation efforts such as defensible space (vegetation management) and fire-resistant construction (home hardening).
  • Classification factors: The zones are determined by considering factors such as:
    • Fuel loading (vegetation)
    • Slope (steepness of the land)
    • Fire history
    • Local weather and wind patterns
    • Blowing embers
  • Impact on property owners: Knowing a property’s FHSZ designation is important for:
    • Building codes: New construction and renovations may have to comply with specific building codes in High and Very High zones.
    • Defensible space: Homeowners in Very High zones are required to maintain defensible space around their homes.
    • Real estate transactions: Sellers are required to disclose the FHSZ designation during the sale of a property.

How to find your zone

You can find your property’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone by using our online map tool. Look up your property’s FHSZ using the property assessor’s parcel number or address.

FAQs

Knowing your FHSZ can help you identify the likelihood of wildfire, should a fire occur.  and provide you with the knowledge to take action to make your home more fire resilient through defensible space and home hardening actions.

Maybe! If your property falls into the High or Very High Hazard Zone, construction modifications and increased defensible space measures are required.  Additionally, there may be an impact with your insurance company.

Reducing the risk to your home is essential. We strongly recommend partnering with at least eight (8) of your neighbors and complete the Steps to Become a Firewise Community overseen by CalFire.

The Firewise Communities Program was developed to assist property owners with identifying threats from wildfires. Once identified, owners collectively work to reduce the risk together. Fire Knows No Boundaries and by taking steps to Become Firewise and registering your plan with the Firewise USA, may help improve insurance coverage and costs.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal has an Informational Video to discuss the making of the current maps.

How do I find out if my property has a Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Classification?

Use the  FHSZ LOOK UP.  In the Field, “Find Address or Place”, located in the upper left corner of the map, type in the property’s assessor’s parcel number or the address recorded with the Alameda County’s Assessor’s Office.

When a property has more than one severity zone, the higher rating zone is used.

Creating defensible space is key to reducing the spread of fire in a designated FHSZ. Combining defensible space with home hardening is scientifically proven to reduce a structures risk and improving a homes ability to survive a wildfire.