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

Wildfire hazard in unincorporated Mendocino County is governed by California's Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) system administered by CAL FIRE and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Land where the state has primary wildfire protection responsibility is the State Responsibility Area (SRA), which covers most of inland unincorporated Mendocino County and is mapped into moderate, high, and very high severity zones. CAL FIRE released updated FHSZ maps for Mendocino County in phases during 2025 (Phase 1 Feb 10, Phase 2 Feb 24, Phase 3 Mar 10, Phase 4 Mar 24). According to reporting on the new maps, about 8,402 acres in the unincorporated county are classified as very high fire severity, with many of those very high zones near Ukiah and Willits along the eastern side of U.S. Highway 101. A property's zone designation drives obligations: PRC 4291 defensible space (100 feet) applies in the SRA, and new or rebuilt structures in high and very high zones must meet wildfire-resistant building standards (California Building Code Chapter 7A). The county's coast is generally cooler and wetter than the inland zones. The hazard reflects a severe fire history including the 2017 Redwood Complex and 2018 Mendocino Complex - the largest California wildfire at the time. Owners can look up a parcel on CAL FIRE's FHSZ viewer.