Milpitas, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Milpitas lies on the valley floor at the western base of the Diablo Range foothills, so wildfire hazard varies sharply across the city. Most of the built-up urban core is in a Local Responsibility Area (LRA) with relatively low wildland fire exposure, but parcels along the eastern hillsides and city edges face higher hazard from grass and brush fires moving down from open space. California's wildfire mapping is set by the CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), which adopts Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps classifying land as moderate, high, or very high hazard based on fuel, slope, and fire weather; updated LRA FHSZ maps were released statewide in 2025, and each affected jurisdiction adopts the maps for its area. Santa Clara County also maintains a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Area map, originally adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2008, combining the state-designated areas with the county's longstanding hazardous fire area. Property owners should check their specific address on the CAL FIRE/OSFM FHSZ viewer and the county WUI map, because being in a designated zone can trigger stricter requirements such as defensible-space vegetation clearance, ignition-resistant (WUI) building materials for new construction or major remodels, and ongoing weed abatement. Even outside mapped high-hazard zones, the city's Weed Abatement Program requires clearing combustible vegetation during the April-October fire season. Residents near the foothills should maintain defensible space around structures and follow Fire Department and CAL FIRE guidance.