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ORDINANCE NO. ______
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIALTO, CALIFORNIA,
ADOPTING THE UPDATED LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA (LRA) FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONE (FHSZ) MAPS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF
THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL
WHEREAS, The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is responsible for classifying lands into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZs) in both State Responsibility Areas (SRAs) and Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), based on consistent statewide criteria and scientific modeling of wildfire behavior; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to California Government Code Section 51178 and Public Resources Code 4202, the OSFM has released updated maps designating lands as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, incorporating the latest fire science, localized climate data, and improved fire modeling techniques; and
WHEREAS, the updated FHSZ designations evaluate wildfire hazard, defined as the likelihood and anticipated intensity of a wildfire over a 30-to- 50-year planning horizon, without assuming existing mitigation measures; and
WHEREAS, on March 24, 2025, the OSFM released updated and recommended LRA FHSZ maps for the City of Rialto; and
WHEREAS, Under California Government Code Section 51179(b)(3), the City of Rialto is required to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120-days of receiving the State Fire Marshal’s recommended FHSZ designations for lands within its jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, the City of Rialto Fire Department (RFD) is not proposing any changes or increases to the classifications recommended by the State Fire at this time, and WHEREAS, FHSZ designations are critical tools used to implement defensible space regulations (California Public Resources Code Section 4291), enforce wildland-urban interface (WUI) -2-
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building code requirements, inform real estate disclosures, and guide local planning and land use decisions; and
WHEREAS, adopting the updated FHSZ maps enhances the City’s alignment with current wildfire science and supports statewide fire prevention and resilience strategies, and WHEREAS, this action does not constitute a “project” under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and is therefore exempt from environmental review pursuant to Guidelines in Section 15060(c)(3); and
WHEREAS, the adoption of the updated FHSZ maps is not expected to have direct fiscal impacts on the City, although it may result in indirect effects such as increased demand for public outreach, planning, and building review efforts, and opportunities for grant funding related to fire prevention and hazard mitigation.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIALTO DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE, AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
The Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps as identified by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal, attached hereto as Attachment “A” and incorporated by reference, are hereby adopted.
Introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Rialto held on June 10, 2025; and
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of June 2025. _________________________________
Joe Baca, Mayor
ATTEST:
___________________________
BARBARA McGEE, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
___________________________
ERIC VAIL, City Attorney
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Attachment “A”