Beginning this past February, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Office of the State Fire Marshal, initiated the roll out of its 2025 Recommended Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Local Responsibility Areas throughout the State of California.

Typically updated every 10 years, the 2025 Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps classify lands within local jurisdictions as moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zones using the latest data on fuels, fire history, weather, terrain and other relevant factors.

Los Angeles County 2025 Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps updates and local adoption process:

On March 24, the Office of the State Fire Marshal issued the 2025 Recommended Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Los Angeles County. Under Government Code Section 51179(b)(3), a local agency shall not decrease the level of the Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps recommended by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. However, a local agency may increase the hazard level or make additions beyond what the state has recommended.

The County of Los Angeles Fire Department is not proposing any additions or increases to the Office of the State Fire Marshal-recommended Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone boundaries during this adoption cycle.

However, the LACoFD estimates an increase in the number of parcels that will be inspected by the newly issued Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps updates. These changes may influence building and vegetation management requirements for properties located within newly classified fire hazard severity zones.

State law requires Los Angeles County to adopt the recommended maps by ordinance within 120 days of their issuance. Public hearings for the adoption ordinance will be held in compliance with this mandate.

Public comment period and public hearing:

Cal Fire, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and LACoFD encourage residents to review and comment on the proposed Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. To access the maps, submit public comment and participate in the public hearing, please see below:

Visit Cal Fire to review the 2025 Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.

Monitor the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors website and LACoFD website for instructions on how to provide public comment.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will be holding a public hearing meeting on Tuesday, July 22, at 9:30 a.m. To listen by telephone, call (877) 873-8017, and enter the access code for English: 111111.

Why the Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps matter:

The Local Responsibility Areas Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps are used to inform land-use decisions, building standards and wildfire mitigation practices. Properties identified within the very high zones may be subject to California Building Code Chapter 7A and defensible space requirements pursuant to Public Resources Code 4291.

For additional information, please visit:

Cal Fire, Fire Hazard Severity Zone Program.

Frequently asked questions