Lake County, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone tiers
- Moderate, High, Very High (Sec. 22-2)
- Maps kept at
- Lake County Clerk's office
- Last map ordinance
- Ord. No. 3149, June 17, 2025
- WUI code adopted
- 2021 IWUIC, Sec. 5-4M
- Zoning clearance
- Required before building permit, Sec. 5-6.4
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 6 months jail, Sec. 5-14.7
Summary
CAL FIRE has mapped Lake County into Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under Sec. 22-2, with the maps on file and open to public inspection at the County Clerk's office. Lake County has also adopted the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code by reference under Sec. 5-4M, layering construction standards for wildfire-prone areas onto whatever zone a parcel falls in.
The CAL FIRE has caused to be prepared a map of the County of Lake, a map of the City of Lakeport, and a map of the city of Clearlake which specify by readily identified boundaries Fire Hazard Severity Zones; classifying these zones into "Moderate," "High," and "Very High" fire hazard regions. These maps shall be kept at the office of the County Clerk of the County of Lake and shall be available for inspection at reasonable times by the public.
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Both map sets are kept at the office of the Lake County Clerk and are open to public inspection at reasonable times; the current classification was last amended by Ord. No. 3149 in June 2025. Falling inside a mapped High or Very High zone matters for construction, because Lake County has separately adopted the 2021 edition of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code by reference as 'the Wildland-Urban Interface Code of the County of Lake' under Sec. 5-4M, giving it the same force and effect as if it were written into the Building Regulations chapter itself.
A certified copy of that adopted code, along with the other codes referenced in Sec. 5-4, is kept on file with the Building Official for public examination under Sec. 5-5. Before any building permit issues, Sec. 4 requires the Lake County Planning Division to first issue a zoning clearance, so a parcel's fire hazard severity zone designation and applicable Wildland-Urban Interface Code requirements are checked at the same stage as zoning compliance, not left to be discovered after construction starts.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 5-14.7 makes any violation of the Building Regulations chapter, or of any code it adopts by reference including the Wildland-Urban Interface Code, punishable as an infraction with a fine up to $100, or as a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500, imprisonment up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I check whether my Lake County property is in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
Does being in a High or Very High zone change my building requirements?
What happens if construction doesn't comply with the adopted Wildland-Urban Interface Code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
California rules heatmap·Compare Lake County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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