Most of unincorporated Sacramento County is low-lying valley floor with low wildfire hazard, so the majority of parcels are not in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone. However, the 2025 CAL FIRE maps added Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZ designations in south, southeast, and eastern county areas, triggering defensible space and, in higher zones, WUI building standards.
Fire Hazard Severity Zones are designated by the State Fire Marshal and CAL FIRE under California Government Code Sections 51178-51179 (Local Responsibility Area) and the Public Resources Code (State Responsibility Area). CAL FIRE released updated FHSZ maps in 2025, with Local Responsibility Area maps released in phases (February 10, February 24, March 10, and March 24, 2025). For Sacramento County, the updated maps added roughly 1,267 acres of Very High and more than 2,000 acres of High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, concentrated in south and southeast Sacramento near the Amador and San Joaquin county lines, plus approximately 60,000 acres of Moderate zone including communities in Rancho Cordova, around Mather Airport, and near Folsom. CAL FIRE notes the Very High zone in Sacramento has grown substantially since the prior maps, partly because the agency now maps Moderate and High zones (in the prior cycle it mapped only Very High). The bulk of the county remains unmapped/low-hazard valley floor. Consequences of being in a mapped zone: defensible space under PRC Section 4291 / Government Code Section 51182 (100 feet); for new construction and substantial remodels in High/Very High zones, California Building Code Chapter 7A wildland-urban-interface standards (ember-resistant vents, Class A roofing, ignition-resistant exterior, tempered glazing); and Natural Hazard Disclosure obligations at sale. Owners should verify their parcel's status using CAL FIRE's address-search FHSZ map tool, since most county properties are not affected.
The FHSZ designation itself is regulatory rather than penalty-bearing, but downstream requirements carry enforcement: defensible space violations under PRC 4291 are infractions (commonly $100 first, up to $500 subsequent) with agency abatement and liens; WUI Chapter 7A non-compliance is a building-permit and certificate-of-occupancy issue; and failure to provide a Natural Hazard Disclosure can expose a home seller to civil liability.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Sacramento County.
See how other cities in Sacramento County handle wildfire zones.
See how Courtland's wildfire zones rules stack up against other locations.
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