Chino Hills, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Chino Hills has significant hill terrain in and adjacent to Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) — the 2008 Freeway Complex Fire burned through the area, and updated CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal hazard maps for Local Responsibility Areas were released in 2025. The Chino Valley Independent Fire District reports that just over 20,000 acres in Chino Hills are designated very high risk, including about 10,000 acres of open space — over 7,300 acres in Chino Hills State Park and roughly 1,750 acres at Tres Hermanos Ranch. Many residents who were not previously in a high-fire-risk zone may now find their properties included. Property owners in a Very High FHSZ — including within the City — are legally required to comply with defensible-space requirements established in the California Government Code and CVFD Ordinance 2022-01. Defensible space under state law (Government Code 51182 and Public Resources Code 4291) generally requires creating fuel-reduced zones around structures and, near the structure, an 'ember-resistant zone' to prevent ember ignition. Locally, the City of Chino Hills designates a Fire Hazard Overlay District in Municipal Code Chapter 16.22, covering the Vellano, Ridgegate and Carbon Canyon communities, where parcels carry the additional defensible-space standards detailed in the CVFD Weed Abatement Guide — canopy spacing of at least 10 feet, 6 feet of vertical branch clearance, removal of dead palm fronds and combustibles under decks, and trimming trees 10 feet from chimneys. The District enforces year-round compliance and inspects in Spring and Fall cycles.