LRA Legislation Factsheet - Flipbook combined - Flipbook - Page 4
FHSZ Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is a Fire Hazard Severity Zone or FHSZ?
Public Resource Code 4202; The State Fire Marshal shall classify lands within State Responsibility
Areas into Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Each zone shall embrace rela琀椀vely homogeneous lands and
shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors present, including
areas where winds have been iden琀椀fied by the department as a major cause of wildfire spread.
Government Code 51178; The State Fire Marshal shall iden琀椀fy 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 iden琀椀fied by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as
a major cause of wildfire spread.
Will the new Fire Hazard Severity Zones affect my ability to get or maintain insurance?
Insurance companies use risk models, which differ from hazard models, because they consider the
suscep琀椀bility of a structure to damage from fire and other short-term factors that are not included
in hazard modeling. It is unlikely that insurance risk models would u琀椀lize CAL FIRE Fire Hazard
Severity Zones as a factor, but much of the same data that is used in the Fire Hazard Severity Zone
model are likely included in the insurance companies’ risk models. However, insurance risk models
incorporate many addi琀椀onal factors and that change more frequently than those that CAL FIRE
includes in its hazard mapping, which is built to remain steady for the next 10+ years.
What do Fire Hazard Severity Zones measure?
The Fire Hazard Severity Zone map reflects “hazard,” not “risk”. The map is like flood zone maps,
where lands are described in terms of the probability level of a par琀椀cular area being inundated by
floodwaters, and not specifically prescrip琀椀ve of impacts.
“Hazard” is based on the physical condi琀椀ons that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior
over a 30 to 50-year period without considering mi琀椀ga琀椀on measures such as home hardening,
recent wildfire, or fuel reduc琀椀on efforts.
“Risk” is the poten琀椀al damage a fire can do to the area under exis琀椀ng condi琀椀ons, accoun琀椀ng for
any modifica琀椀ons such as fuel reduc琀椀on projects, defensible space, and igni琀椀on resistant building
construc琀椀on.
