Portions of Riverside — particularly the hillside neighborhoods around Sycamore Canyon, Box Springs, La Sierra Hills, and Two Trees — are mapped as Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Owners in those zones must maintain 100 feet of defensible space and meet Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) construction standards.
Under California Public Resources Code §§4201-4204 and California Government Code §§51175-89, the State Fire Marshal designates Fire Hazard Severity Zones for State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and recommends Local Responsibility Area (LRA) zones for adoption by cities and counties. On March 24, 2025, the State Fire Marshal issued the 2025 Recommended LRA FHSZ maps for Riverside County, which the City of Riverside publishes on its Fire Department FHSZ page. Within an adopted FHSZ, owners must comply with: (1) PRC §4291 / Gov. Code §51182 defensible space (100 feet around structures, Zone 1 0-30 ft and Zone 2 30-100 ft); (2) California Building Code Chapter 7A 'Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure' for new construction and additions; and (3) California Fire Code Chapter 49 'Requirements for Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas.' Riverside has incorporated these CFC/CBC provisions through RMC Ch. 16.32 and its companion Building Code chapters. Real-estate sales of property within an FHSZ require a Natural Hazard Disclosure under California Civil Code §1103.
Failure to maintain defensible space can result in administrative citation, abatement at owner expense with a lien, and — in higher-hazard zones — denial of property insurance. Non-compliant new construction in an FHSZ will not be issued a building permit until Chapter 7A and CFC Chapter 49 requirements are met. Failure to deliver a Natural Hazard Disclosure exposes sellers to civil liability under Civ. Code §1103.13.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Riverside County.
See how other cities in Riverside County handle wildfire zones.
See how Riverside's wildfire zones rules stack up against other locations.
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