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

Wildfire risk in unincorporated Monterey County is mapped by CAL FIRE as Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) classified moderate, high, or very high, based on fuel, slope, fire weather, and ember exposure. Roughly 80% of the county's land is categorized as high, very high, or extreme fire threat — the mountainous, highly combustible terrain in and around Los Padres National Forest and the Santa Lucia Mountains is especially susceptible. Big Sur coast communities including Big Sur, Post, Lucia, Gorda, and Plaskett are at great risk, as shown by the 2016 Soberanes Fire (about 132,000 acres, 57 homes destroyed) and the 2020 Dolan Fire (about 124,924 acres). Most of the county lies in the State Responsibility Area (SRA), where CAL FIRE handles wildland protection; mapped very high zones also exist in Local Responsibility Areas (LRA). In very high fire hazard severity zones, owners must maintain 100 feet of defensible space (PRC 4291), new construction and major renovations must meet Wildland-Urban Interface building standards (California Building Code Chapter 7A / fire-resistant construction), and sellers must disclose the FHSZ designation in real estate transactions. The 2025 FHSZ map updates were released to local agencies (received March 10, 2025), with the fire district required to adopt LRA updates within 120 days under AB 211. Property owners can confirm their zone on the state OSFM FHSZ viewer or the county's GIS portal.