1 City Council Meeting: June 24, 2025 Santa Monica, California ORDINANCE NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA AMENDING THE SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD CHAPTER 8.46, DESIGNATING FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
WHEREAS, under Government Code Section 51178, the State Fire Marshal shall identify areas in the state as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Severity Zones (FHSZ) based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas; and WHEREAS, Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZ shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors, including areas where winds have been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as a major cause of wildfire spread; and WHEREAS, on March 24, 2025, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) released updated FHSZ maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRA), including new designations within the City of Santa Monica; and WHEREAS, these maps, mandated by Government Code Sections 51178 and 51179, classify areas based on wildfire likelihood and intensity using a science-based model that factors in historical fire data, topography, weather, vegetation, and ember exposure potential; and
WHEREAS, this is the first time Santa Monica has been included in the FHSZ maps, and areas within the city are now designated as Moderate, High, and Very High fire hazard zones;
2 WHEREAS, these designations do not impose restrictions on existing structures but will require certain wildfire safety standards for new construction and substantial remodels, including compliance with the California Building Code Chapter 7A, Fire Safe Regulations, and defensible space requirements under Government Code Section 51182; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Sections 51178.5 and 51179, the City is required to make the information available for public review within 30 days and adopt the map by ordinance within 120 days of receiving a transmittal from the State Fire Marshal; and
WHEREAS, the City may, at its discretion, include areas within its jurisdiction not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal, as very high fire hazard severity zones if it determines that certain requirements are necessary for effective fire protection within the area; and
WHEREAS, the City cannot decrease the level of fire hazard severity zone as identified by the State Fire Marshal for any area within its jurisdiction, and, in exercising its discretion noted above, may only increase the level of fire hazard severity zone as identified by the State Fire Marshal for any area within its jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Section 51178.5, the City made the FHSZ map information available for public review on April 14, 2025, by posting on the City’s website, available at https://www.santamonica.gov/local-responsibility-area-firehazard-severity-zones; and 3 WHEREAS, the City has reviewed the data associated with the mapped areas and does not propose increasing any areas within the City beyond that designated by the State Fire Marshal.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City of Santa Monica hereby designates the Fire Hazard Severity Zones as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Government Code Section 51178. The map showing the fire zone designations, attached hereto as Attachment A, is hereby approved by the City Council of the City of Santa Monica, incorporated by reference, and entitled “City of Santa Monica Fire Hazard Severity Zones.” The official map is also located electronically on the following website: https://www.santamonica.gov/local-responsibility-area-fire-hazardseverity-zones SECTION 2. Chapter 8.46 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal Code to read as follows:
Chapter 8.46 FIRE SEVERITY HAZARD ZONES
8.46.010 Designation
The City of Santa Monica hereby designates the Fire Hazard Severity Zones as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Government Code Section 51178. The map, approved by the City, is hereby incorporated by reference, and entitled, “City of Santa Monica Fire Hazard Severity Zones.”
8.46.020 Map
4 The City of Santa Monica Fire Hazard Severity Zones map shall be retained on file with the Office of the City Clerk.
8.46.030 Notice to County
The City shall post a notice at the Office of the Los Angeles County recorder, Los Angeles County Assessor, and Los Angeles County Planning Department identifying the location of the City of Santa Monica Fire Hazard Severity Zones map adopted pursuant to this chapter.
SECTION 3. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 5. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become effective 30 days from its adoption.
5 APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
Douglas Sloan, City Attorney
6 Attachment A
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
City and County boundaries as of 10/22/24 (CA Board of Equalization) CAL FIRE State Responsibility Areas (SRA25_1)
CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZSRA23_3, FHSZLRA_25_1) Data Sources:
Daniel Berlant, State Fire Marshal, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Joe Tyler, Director/Fire Chief, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Wade Crowfoot, Secretary for Natural Resources, CA Natural Resources Agency The State of California and the Department of Forestry and Fire Gavin Newsom, Governor, State of California Protection make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy of data or maps. Neither the State nor the Department shall be liable under any circumstances for any direct, special, incidental, or consequential damages with respect to any claim by any user or third party on account of, or arising from, the use of data or maps. and other relevant factors including areas where winds
have been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as a major cause of wildfire spread.
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, Government Code section 51178 requires the State Fire
Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent Unzoned LRA
Incorporated City
Projection: NAD 83 California Teale Albers
Scale: 1:29,000 at 11" x 17"
Km 0 1 2
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) in Local Responsibility Mi 0 1 Area (LRA), as Identified by the State Fire Marshal
Santa Monica
10 Ocean Park Blvd
Neilson Way
Harvard St
Ashland Ave
7th St
Arizona Ave
Ocean Ave
Montana Ave
Montana Ave
5th St
20th St
Pier Ave
Pico Blvd
Wilshire Blvd
17th St
The Promenade
Cloverfield Blvd
Yale St
6th St
2nd St
3rd St
Berkeley St
Stanford St
Virginia Ave
Franklin St
28th St
Pearl St
26th St
4th St
Barnard Way
11th St
14th St
Princeton St
Georgina Ave
San
Vicente
Blvd
Olympic Blvd
4th St
la Mesa Dr
11th St
17th St
Colorado Ave
16th St
Main St
Delaware Ave Washington Ave
Lincoln Blvd
2nd St
Ashland Ave
Euclid St
Maple St
14th St
23rd St
Chelsea Ave
16th St
Grant St
23rd St
Pacific St
Oak St
5th St
California Ave
10th St
21st St
15th St
4th St
Hill St
Broadway
22nd St
4th St
21st Pl
3rd St
Harvard St
Alta Ave
Marguerita Ave
Idaho Ave
Michigan Ave
Carlyle Ave
Georgina
Ave
7th St
21st St
9th St
10th St
Ocean Park Pl S
18th St
Lincoln Ct
12th St
Hill Pl N
Ashland Pl N
Euclid St
24th St
23rd St
25th St
21st St
20th St
19th St
18th St
19th St
15th St
Donald Douglas
Loop N
Palisades Beach Rd
Palisades Beach Rd
Pacific Coast Hwy
2 1
UNINCORPORATED
LOS ANGELES CO.
CULVER CITY
LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES
L O S A N G E L E S C O .
March 26, 2025
As Identified by the
State Fire Marshal
Local Responsibility Area
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
CITY OF SANTA MONICA – LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Very High High Moderate