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

Wildfire zoning in unincorporated Shasta County is defined by CAL FIRE and the Office of the State Fire Marshal rather than a local zoning ordinance. Under Government Code Section 51178, the State Fire Marshal identifies areas as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other factors. Much of the unincorporated county sits in State Responsibility Area (SRA) - rural lands with significant wildland vegetation where CAL FIRE is responsible for wildfire prevention and suppression - while incorporated cities and federal lands are excluded. Shasta County publishes the updated FHSZ maps: the SRA maps took effect in 2024, and the recommended Local Responsibility Area (LRA) maps for Northern California were released February 10, 2025. A property's FHSZ classification carries real consequences: it triggers state defensible-space obligations under Public Resources Code 4291, the county's own defensible-space requirements under Chapter 8.10, wildfire-hardened building standards (California Building Code Chapter 7A) for new construction and certain rebuilds, and disclosure requirements on property sales. Shasta County's wildfire history shows why these designations matter: the 2018 Carr Fire burned nearly 230,000 acres and destroyed over 1,500 structures around Redding; the 2020 Zogg Fire burned about 56,000 acres in southwestern Shasta and northwestern Tehama Counties, destroying more than 200 buildings; and the 2021 Fawn Fire burned roughly 8,500 acres and destroyed about 185 structures. Residents can check their responsibility area and FHSZ using the county and CAL FIRE/OSFM map viewers.