Vallejo, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- VMC Chapter 7.57, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 1882, effective July 8, 2025
- Map source
- CAL FIRE FHSZ maps issued February 24, 2025
- State authority
- Government Code § 51178 (LRA zone designation)
- Building standard
- CBC Chapter 7A for mapped Moderate/High/Very High zones
- Map custodian
- City clerk; published on the city website
Summary
Vallejo Municipal Code Chapter 7.57 adopts by reference CAL FIRE's February 24, 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for the city's Local Responsibility Areas under Government Code Section 51178. Properties mapped Moderate, High or Very High must meet wildland-urban interface building standards, defensible space clearance and local vegetation management rules, and the maps are kept on file with the city clerk to guide permitting, code enforcement and outreach.
A.The city of Vallejo hereby adopts by reference the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps for Local Responsibility Areas, as issued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) on February 24, 2025, pursuant to Government Code Section 51178.B.Properties located within areas designated as Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones shall comply with all applicable fire safety provisions, including: California Building Code Chapter 7A (Building Standards in Wildland-Urban Interface Areas), Public Resources Code Section 4291 (defensible space requirements), Local vegetation management, fire prevention, and enforcement measures. C.The adopted maps shall be maintained on file with the city clerk, made available to the public on the city website, and used to inform building permit reviews, code enforcement, and community outreach.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Update 12 - 25).
Full Breakdown
57, adopted July 8, 2025 by Ordinance No. 1882, is the city's most recent update to how it recognizes and enforces the state's Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) program. 010(A) adopts by reference the FHSZ maps for Local Responsibility Areas that CAL FIRE issued on February 24, 2025, doing so under the authority of Government Code Section 51178, which requires cities to designate the zones CAL FIRE identifies within their jurisdiction. 56, including its annual February 15 inspection cycle. 010(C) requires the city clerk to keep the adopted maps on file and publish them on the city website, and directs planning and code enforcement staff to use them when reviewing building permit applications, conducting inspections and doing community outreach in mapped areas.
Because the ordinance incorporates the state maps by reference rather than drawing new boundaries, the applicable zone for any address changes automatically whenever CAL FIRE revises its statewide FHSZ maps, and property owners should confirm their zone designation with the city's current map before starting construction or a defensible-space project.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 7.57 does not set its own fine schedule; compliance is enforced through the programs it incorporates. Building work that ignores Chapter 7A wildland-urban interface standards can be red-tagged or denied a permit by the building division, defensible-space violations are enforced under Public Resources Code Section 4291's state penalty scheme, and vegetation left uncleared on a mapped parcel is abated as a nuisance under Vallejo Municipal Code Chapter 7.56, with abatement costs billed to the owner and any unpaid balance becoming a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Vallejo decide which fire hazard zone applies to my property?
What extra requirements apply if I'm in a mapped Moderate, High or Very High zone?
Where can I see Vallejo's official Fire Hazard Severity Zone map?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vallejo
California rules heatmap·Compare Vallejo to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Wildfire Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle wildfire zones.