Richmond Fire Department
Local Responsibility Area
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
• AB 337 (1992) required CAL FIRE to
evaluate fire hazard severity in the LRA
• Per Government Code 51178 & 51179 the
State Fire Marshal shall identify areas in the
State as Moderate, High, and Very High
Hazard Severity Zones based on consistent
statewide criteria and the severity of fire
hazard that is expected to prevail in those
areas
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
What is a Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
State Responsibility Area (SRA)
– The area where the State has financial responsibility for wildland fire protection & prevention. - Ca. Public Resource Code 4102 Local Responsibility Area (LRA)
– The area where local government is responsible for wildfire protection including incorporated cities and urban regions. - Ca. Public Resource Code 4125
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
SRA vs. LRA
1985
PRC 4201 SRA
Fire Severity
Zone map
created in
response to
Panorama Fire
1992
AB 337 passes
requiring CAL
FIRE to identify
VHFHSZ in
LRA after
Oakland Hills
Fire
2007-2009
CAL FIRE
finalizes Very
High Fire
Zones in the
LRA, and local
jurisdictions
adopt
2017-2018
Tubbs Fire &
Camp Fire
burn over
24,000
structures with
107 fatalities
2021
AB 642/SB 63
require addition
of Moderate
and High
Zones in LRA
2022-2025
AB 211
mandates local
jurisdictions
adopt new
zones
New maps
created by CAL
FIRE
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History of Fire Hazard Severity Zones
How are the Zones determined?
• CAL FIRE used the best available science and data to
develop, and field test a model that served as the basis of zone assignments. The model evaluated the probability of the area burning and potential fire behavior in the area. • Factors: fire history, vegetation, flame length, blowing embers, proximity to wildland, terrain, and weather
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
New Updates
• Updated burn probabilities for wildland areas
(inclusive of 2020 fires)
• Updated fire environment footprints (urban/developed) • Updated Vegetation density for urban areas
• Inclusion of slope in the urban zoning model
• Localized fire weather used in both wildland and urban models
• New firebrand production and transport model using
discrete local wind vector distributions
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
New Updates
Urban FHSZ
• Minimum size of 20 acres for isolated islands of vegetation embedded in non-wildland.
• Based on distance to wildland and hazard level of adjacent wildland
• Ember production based on vegetation type and fire weather • Ember transport based on wind speed/direction observed under the most extreme fire weather at a given location • Width of moderate, high and very high bands in urban are based on ember load, urban tree cover and slope
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Wildland FHSZ
• Minimum size of 200 acres
• Burn probability
– Based on fire occurrence from 1991-2020
• Fire intensity
– Vegetation type
– Slope
– Local fire weather – how hot/dry/windy are
the worst conditions at a given location
(based on 2 km data from 2003-2018)
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Parcel Count In Fire Zones
FHSZ CITY OF
RICMOND
PUBLIC ENTITY PRIVATE TOTAL
MODERATE 10 11 603 624
HIGH 7 - 557 584
VERY HIGH 13 49 1599 1661
TOTAL 30 60 2779 2869
• 684 parcels with overlapping zones-Default
to highest zone
• Approximately 2900 parcels in current
VHFHSZ
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2009 Fire Zone Map
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
2025 Fire Zone Map
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Additions to Fire Zone
Only VERY HIGH
zone added to
jurisdiction
located in East
Richmond
Heights
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Downgrades to Fire Zone
Hillcrest Road near Bonita Court
Santa Rita
Road at
Mirante
Court
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Downgrades to Fire Zone
Largest change
is in May Valley,
and Carriage
Hills in District 4
New Updates
Zone Requirements
• Building standards for new construction in the
Wildland-Urban Interface (California Building
Code Chapter 7A)
• Property development standards such as road
widths, water supply and signage (Fire Safe
Regulations)
• Natural hazard real estate disclosure
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Building & Construction Requirements
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Defensible Space Requirements
Defensible Space Requirements (Government Code 51182)
ZONE 1: LEAN, CLEAN & GREEN 0-30 Feet
• Remove all dead grasses, plants, and weeds, maintain less than 4” grass levels.
• Remove all dead or dry leaves, needles, and combustible plants from roof, gutters, decks, porches, windows and awnings, and stairways.
• Trim trees to remove limbs 6’ to 10’ from the ground, including branches that hang over your roof and 10 feet from chimneys. • Relocate firewood or lumber piles outside of Zone 1.
• Cover Chimney outlets or flues with a 1/2” mesh spark arrestor.
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Defensible Space Requirements
ZONE 2: REDUCE FUEL 30-100 Feet
• Create a horizontal spacing between shrubs and trees. – Flat to Mild slope: Trees should have a minimum of 10 feet between trees.
Shrubs 2x height between other shrubs.
– Mild to Moderate Slope: Trees should have a minimum of 20 feet between trees. Shrubs should have a minimum of 4x height between other shrubs. • Create vertical spacing between grass, shrubs and trees. – Remove limbs to at least 6’ to 10’ from the ground to eliminate vertical ladder fuel.
– Remove limbs 3x height of shrubs under trees
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Defensible Space Requirements
ZONE 0: EMBER RESISTANT ZONE 0-5 FEET
• Use gravel, pavers, or concrete instead of combustible mulch • Clear all combustible materials & debris from roofs, gutters, and within 5’ of structure.
• Keep branches trimmed 10 feet away from chimneys and stovepipes • Minimize combustible items like furniture and planters on decks • Move firewood and lumber to Zone 2 for safety
• Replace combustible fencing and gates with fire-resistant materials • Move garbage and recycling containers to a safer area outside this zone • Relocate boats, RVs, and vehicles away from this zone Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Defensible Space Requirements
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Map Adoption Timeline
• 30 days to post > 120 days to adopt > 30 days to submit • Maps released February 24, 2025
• Posted website dedicated to Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Area on March 21, 2025
• Presentation and first reading on May 27, 2025
• Second reading and adoption on June 3, 2025
• Final Packet submitted to Board of Forestry by July 1, 2025
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Community Outreach
• RFD created a website dedicated to Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Area on March 21, 2025
• Advertising the LRA maps and website through the City Manager’s Weekly Repost starting March 21, 2025
• City Manager advertised the website through the CM
report to City Council on March 25, 2025.
• English & Spanish flyers were advertised on various social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, Nextdoor) on April 4 & 7, 2025.
• Postcards were sent out to affected APNS on April 18, 2025
INTRODUCE an ordinance (first reading) to designate Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the City of Richmond as
recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM)
At June 3
rd city council meeting ADOPT an ordinance (second
reading) designating Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the City of Richmond as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM)
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Remap
Recommended Action
LRA Fire Severity Zone Maps
Questions?