Redding, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

The 2018 Carr Fire, which burned approximately 229,651 acres across Shasta County, killed eight people, and destroyed 1,604 structures including roughly 1,079 inside the City of Redding, produced the most destructive wildfire entrance into an incorporated California city since Oakland in 1991. The aftermath drove sweeping changes to local fire codes and wildfire mapping. On February 24, 2025, the Office of the State Fire Marshal released updated Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Redding 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 west Redding, the Sacramento River canyon, Mary Lake, Buckeye, Lake Boulevard, and the western foothills, areas heavily damaged by the Carr Fire. State Responsibility Area parcels at the edges of the City remain under CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity 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.