Kings County, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Under California Government Code Sections 51178-51179 and Public Resources Code Sections 4201-4204, the State Fire Marshal and CAL FIRE map Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), classifying areas as Moderate, High, or Very High based on terrain, vegetation, fire history, and climate. The Kings County Fire Department received updated FHSZ maps from CAL FIRE on March 10, 2025, opened a public comment period through May 2, 2025, and planned to bring the maps to the Kings County Board of Supervisors for adoption; a local agency cannot reduce a zone designation set by the State Fire Marshal. Because Kings County sits on the flat San Joaquin Valley floor - largely irrigated farmland with minimal brush - it has very limited wildland fire hazard compared with foothill and mountain counties, and most of the unincorporated area is within the Local Responsibility Area (LRA) served by the Kings County Fire Department and CAL FIRE rather than the State Responsibility Area (SRA). Properties that fall within a High or Very High FHSZ are subject to California Building Code Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction standards for new building and to real-estate hazard disclosure under California Civil Code Section 1103.