Butte County, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted by
- Ordinance No. 4265 (June 10, 2025)
- Statutory basis
- Gov. Code §51178, PRC §§4201-4204
- Split parcels
- most restrictive zone controls
- County action
- expands zones beyond state map
Summary
Butte County has formally adopted the Fire Hazard Severity Zone map for its Local Responsibility Area, and Section 26-120 goes further than the state's own default: it designates areas the State Fire Marshal did not classify as Moderate or High as Moderate or High anyway. Where a single parcel straddles more than one zone, the entire parcel is held to the requirements of the most restrictive zone touching it.
The County of Butte 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 County also hereby designates areas not identified as Moderate and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones by the State Fire Marshal, as Moderate and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, respectively. The map, approved by the County, is hereby incorporated by reference, and is entitled the "Butte County Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map." ... Where a parcel of land is intersected by more than one (1) designated Fire Hazard Severity Zone, the entire parcel shall be subject to the requirements and regulations associated with the most restrictive Fire Hazard Severity Zone applicable to any portion of the parcel, regardless of the amount of parcel area within each zone.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
Article IX of Chapter 26, adopted by Ordinance No. 4265 on June 10, 2025, is the county's local implementation of state Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping under Government Code Section 51178 and Public Resources Code Sections 4201 through 4204. Section 26-120 "designates the Fire Hazard Severity Zones as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection," but the county did not stop at simple adoption: it also independently "designates areas not identified as Moderate and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones by the State Fire Marshal, as Moderate and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, respectively," extending stricter coverage beyond the state's own map.
The resulting document, the "Butte County Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map," is incorporated by reference and governs how the Fire Code, the Building Code, and defensible-space rules apply parcel by parcel. " Section 26-121 defines Local Responsibility Areas as the zones where the county, rather than the state, bears primary financial responsibility for fire prevention and suppression, distinguishing them from State Responsibility Areas classified under Public Resources Code Section 4125.
Violations & Fines
A parcel that falls partly within a Very High or High zone is treated as entirely within that zone for permitting purposes, so a landowner cannot rely on the less restrictive portion of a split parcel to avoid Chapter 7A construction standards or defensible-space clearance. Development Services applies the adopted map at plan review, and disputes over zone boundaries are resolved against the property, not in its favor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Butte County use its own fire hazard map or the state's?
What happens if my parcel is split between two fire hazard zones?
What is a Local Responsibility Area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
California rules heatmap·Compare Butte County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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