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

Under California Government Code Section 51178 and Public Resources Code Sections 4201-4204, the State Fire Marshal classifies lands into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) based on fuels, slope, fire weather, and wind. Zones are designated Moderate, High, and Very High. In the State Responsibility Area — unincorporated wildland where the state, through CAL FIRE, has primary financial responsibility for wildfire protection — these classifications apply. The CAL FIRE San Bernardino-Inyo-Mono Unit provides SRA wildfire protection across Inyo County, supported by local volunteer fire departments and fire protection districts (such as Independence, Olancha-Cartago, and the White Mountain Fire Protection District). While much of the Owens Valley floor is sparse high-desert, the Eastern Sierra and White Mountain foothills and forested wildland-urban interface include areas mapped as High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and the Inyo County Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies multiple at-risk communities. A Very High FHSZ designation generally triggers PRC 4291 defensible-space obligations and California Building Code Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction standards for new buildings, plus point-of-sale defensible-space disclosure requirements. Property owners should check the official CAL FIRE / State Fire Marshal FHSZ maps for their specific parcel.