Updated fire hazard maps were released Monday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). They cover the counties of Amador; Calaveras; Fresno; Kern; Kings; Madera; Monterey; Sacramento; Santa Barbara; San Benito; San Luis Obispo; Tulare; Tuolumne; and Ventura.
Overall, more than 1.2 million acres were added to Cal Fire’s fire hazard severity zones. Thousands of additional acres now fall under the purview of local fire departments. You can view the maps for each individual county here.
Amador County has seen a significant increase in its very high fire hazard areas since 2011. Unincorporated Calaveras has 58 acres in the very high category, 354 acres in the high category, and 126 in the moderate category. Angels Camp has 310 acres in the very high category, 1,490 acres in the high category, and 212 acres in the moderate category.
Very high and high severity zones have doubled in the City of Monterey. Among the 93 cities mapped, only Santa Barbara saw a decrease in acreage.
The majority of Sacramento County’s hazardous zones are in unincorporated areas. Rancho Cordova has 11,677 acres in the moderate category, while Folsom has 5,293.
More than 88,000 acres in Ventura County now fall into the very hazardous category. That represents a 54% increase since 2011. Among Ventura County cities, Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks have the largest amount of acreage in the very high category. Ojai has seen the amount of very high acreage more than triple since 2011.
Local governments are required to gather public input on the new maps before formal adoption. The maps will be used to inform updated building regulations, which are required for the high and very high severity zones. The process must be completed within five months.
The fire hazard maps are being released in four phases. The fourth and final phase will take place March 24 and will include the counties of Imperial; Inyo; Los Angeles; Mono; Orange; Riverside; San Bernardino; and San Diego.