Mead Valley, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Riverside County designates fire hazard severity zones through Ordinance 787, which adds California Fire Code Section 4904.2.1 adopting the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRA), as published by the Director of CAL FIRE under Government Code Sections 51175–51189; the most recent VHFHSZ-in-LRA map is on file with the Fire Chief and supersedes prior County high-fire-hazard maps. CAL FIRE also designates State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands and maps three classifications — Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone — based on long-term fuel, terrain, weather, and burn-probability modeling. In 2025, OSFM issued updated recommended LRA FHSZ maps for Riverside County (released March 24, 2025), which the County must adopt by ordinance within the statutory window. Consequences of a zone designation: VHFHSZ properties must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures (PRC 4291), comply with Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building/home-hardening codes (ignition-resistant materials, ember-resistant vents, etc.), and disclose the FHSZ designation when selling. High-FHSZ properties must meet home-hardening and WUI building requirements for new construction and renovations and also disclose at sale. Because Riverside County spans deserts, brush-covered wildlands, and mountains rising over 10,000 feet, wildfire exposure is among the highest in California. The Fire Chief may close hazardous fire areas during extreme conditions (Ord. 787, Section 104.13).