San Jose, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

The State Fire Marshal is mandated to classify lands within State Responsibility Areas into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). Fire Hazard Severity Zones fall into one of the following classifications: Moderate High Very High The California laws that require Fire Hazard Severity Zones include California Public Resources Code 4201-4204, California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1280 and California Government Code 51175-89. The Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps are developed using a science-based and field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire likelihood and fire behavior. Many factors are considered such as fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), predicted flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and typical fire weather for the area. There are three levels of hazard in the State Responsibility Areas: moderate, high, and very high. For several years, CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal has been developing a new science model and updated maps. The Office completed mapping the State Responsibility Area at the end of 2023, which went into effect in April 2024. Since then, the Office has been mapping local areas. Classification of all lands within State Responsibility Areas into fire hazard severity zones is required by law. Therefore, the fire hazard severity zone designations and accompanying maps must follow the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) and be approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL). The regulation can be found in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) section 1280.01 and entitled "Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the SRA".