Santa Barbara, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

The City of Santa Barbara designates a High Fire Hazard Area through its City Fire Code (Municipal Code Chapter 8.04, Ordinance No. 5920) and its Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP, also called the Wildland Fire Plan). Fire Code Section 4902, as amended, defines the 'Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area' as land identified by the state as a Fire Hazard Severity Zone under Public Resources Code Sections 4201-4204 and Government Code Sections 51175-51189, plus other areas the city designates - and states that 'Wildland Urban Interface Areas and High Fire Hazard Areas are interchangeable.' The CWPP and the City Fire Department's defensible-space program divide the High Fire Hazard Area into four zones with escalating brush-clearance distances: Coastal Interior, Coastal, Foothill (100 feet), and Extreme Foothill (150 feet). Living in these zones triggers stronger rules: new buildings generally require automatic fire sprinklers (Section 903.2.20), rooftop gardens and vegetated roofs are prohibited (Section 317.1.1), fire protection plans may be required for new development (Section 4903), chimney spark arresters are required within 200 feet (Section 4909.3), and ignition-source controls apply (Section 4909). The city's wildfire history - the 2008 Tea Fire, which destroyed over 150 homes, and the 2009 Jesusita Fire - is cited in the ordinance's findings as the basis for these heightened standards. Residents can confirm their zone using the City's MAPS tool and the High Fire Hazard Area layer.