Garden Grove, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide Wildfire Risk (First Street)
- Very Low - approx. 4% of buildings at any risk
- Topography
- Flat urban coastal plain - no wildland interface
- FHSZ Status
- Not historically mapped High/Very High - verify 2025 LRA map
- Map Authority
- CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal
- 2025 Recommended Maps Released
- March 24, 2025
- Defensible Space Statute (if mapped)
- Public Resources Code 4291 - 100 ft
- AB 38 Disclosure
- Civ. Code 1102.19 - applies only in High/VH FHSZ
- Local Fire Code
- 2022 CFC adopted at GGMC Chapter 8.18
- Fire Authority
- Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
- Verify Parcel
- OCFA (714) 573-6000 or CAL FIRE FHSZ Viewer
Summary
Garden Grove is a flat, fully urbanized city in central Orange County and First Street rates citywide wildfire risk as Very Low (about 4% of buildings at any risk). The City has not historically been mapped as containing CAL FIRE High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) area, so AB 38 disclosure and statewide defensible-space rules generally do not apply. Verify your parcel against the 2025 LRA FHSZ map before relying on this.
The State Fire Marshal is mandated to classify lands within State Responsibility Areas into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). Fire Hazard Severity Zones fall into one of the following classifications: Moderate High Very High The California laws that require Fire Hazard Severity Zones include California Public Resources Code 4201-4204, California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1280 and California Government Code 51175-89.
Full Breakdown
California's Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) program, run by CAL FIRE and the Office of the State Fire Marshal under Public Resources Code 4201-4204 and Government Code 51175-51189, maps Moderate, High, and Very High zones across both State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Local Responsibility Areas (LRA). Garden Grove sits at the flat coastal-plain core of Orange County with no canyons, foothills, or wildland-urban interface, and First Street's wildfire model rates the City as Very Low overall, with only about 4% of buildings at any modeled wildfire exposure.
Unlike eastern Orange County cities (Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, Orange, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente) that contain mapped Very High FHSZ in their hillside portions, Garden Grove has not historically been listed on the OC Public Works Very High FHSZ in LRA roster. CAL FIRE issued recommended 2025 LRA FHSZ maps for Southern California on March 24, 2025, and each city must adopt the maps; confirm any change for a specific parcel using the CAL FIRE FHSZ Viewer before assuming a property is exempt.
19, Government Code 51182, 51189) defensible-space disclosure at point of sale and the PRC 4291 100-foot defensible-space rule do not attach. 18 and the Orange County Fire Authority enforces weed abatement, vegetation management on vacant lots, and fire-lane standards citywide. Confirm your parcel's FHSZ status with OCFA at (714) 573-6000 or with the Garden Grove Fire Marshal before buying or building.
Violations & Fines
If a parcel is later mapped into a High or Very High FHSZ, owners become subject to PRC 4291 defensible-space requirements, Chapter 7A wildland-urban-interface building standards (CRC R337), and AB 38 seller disclosure at sale; failure to disclose or maintain defensible space can trigger civil penalties, transaction delays, and OCFA enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is any part of Garden Grove in a CAL FIRE Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
Do AB 38 defensible-space disclosures apply when I sell a Garden Grove home?
How do I check whether a specific Garden Grove address is in an FHSZ?
Sources & Official References
- [1]CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal - Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- [2]OC Public Works - Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
- [3]Orange County Fire Authority - Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- [4]First Street - Garden Grove Wildfire Risk Report
- [5]Garden Grove Municipal Code - Fire Code Amendments
- [6]California Public Resources Code 4291 (Defensible Space)
Other rules in Garden Grove
California rules heatmap·Compare Garden Grove to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Wildfire Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle wildfire zones.