Large portions of Napa — particularly the eastern hillsides above Coombsville and Alta Heights, the Silverado / Atlas Peak corridor, the Browns Valley / western hillsides, and the northern edges of the city — are mapped as Local Responsibility Area Very High, High, or Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the State Fire Marshal's February 2025 update. Designation triggers 100-foot defensible space, California Building Code Chapter 7A wildland-urban-interface construction standards, and Natural Hazard Disclosure at sale.
Napa sits in the heart of California wine country fire-scar geography. The 2017 Atlas Fire (~51,624 acres, 6 deaths, ~120 homes destroyed in Napa County), the 2017 Tubbs Fire (~36,807 acres, 22 deaths, ~5,636 structures — mostly Sonoma but threatening the western edge of Napa County), the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex including the Hennessey Fire (~363,220 acres across Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Solano, and Yolo counties, 6 deaths, ~1,491 structures), the 2020 Glass Fire (~67,484 acres, ~1,555 structures destroyed across Napa and Sonoma), and continuing 2024 fire activity collectively make the hillsides ringing the City of Napa among the highest-risk wildland-urban-interface in California. The aftermath drove sweeping changes to local fire codes and wildfire mapping. In February 2025, the Office of the State Fire Marshal released updated Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Napa under Government Code Section 51179, requiring the City Council to designate the zones by local ordinance within 120 days. The updated map expanded Very High coverage across the eastern hillsides above Coombsville and Alta Heights, the Silverado / Atlas Peak corridor, Browns Valley, the western hillsides, and the northern edges of the city — areas heavily damaged by the Atlas, Glass, and Hennessey fires. State Responsibility Area parcels at the edges of the City remain under CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit jurisdiction. Designation triggers: (1) 100-foot defensible space under Government Code Section 51182 (LRA) and Public Resources Code Section 4291 (SRA), including a 0-5 foot Zone 0 under AB 3074; (2) California Building Code Chapter 7A wildland-urban-interface construction standards on new construction and substantial remodels in Very High zones — ignition-resistant siding, Class A roof assembly, ember-resistant attic and crawlspace vents, dual-pane tempered windows, and noncombustible decking; (3) Natural Hazard Disclosure under California Civil Code Section 1103 at every sale.
Substantial new construction or remodel within a mapped Very High FHSZ that fails to meet California Building Code Chapter 7A WUI standards is a building-code violation: the Napa Building Division can issue a stop-work order and require corrective construction. CAL FIRE civil penalties for missed defensible space are up to $500 for a first offense and $1,500 for a second offense. Sellers who fail to deliver the FHSZ disclosure under Civil Code Section 1103 can face civil liability from the buyer.
Napa, CA
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Napa, CA
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Napa, CA
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Napa, CA
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Napa, CA
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Napa, CA
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See how Napa's wildfire zones rules stack up against other locations.
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