Virginia Beach, VA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Unlike fire-prone western states, Virginia Beach has never been mapped into Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) hazard severity zones by the Virginia Department of Forestry. The combination of annual precipitation exceeding 47 inches, frequent afternoon thunderstorms, Atlantic Ocean moisture, barrier island wetlands, and municipal drainage through the North Landing River watershed produces a coastal fuel profile dominated by loblolly pine, live oak, and wax myrtle that rarely reaches critical drought stress. The most fire-vulnerable parcels are the southern rural districts bordering the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, but even there past wildfires (such as the 2008 Dismal Swamp peat fire) were contained within federal land rather than spreading into residential zones. Consequently Virginia Beach has no WUI overlay, no Chapter 49 fire-hardening retrofit rules, and no Class A roofing mandate beyond the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) minimums. Owners adjacent to the Dismal Swamp or state parks should still observe the statewide 4 PM Burning Law (Va. Code section 10.1-1142) from Feb 15 - April 30 and follow Fire Marshal advisories on Red Flag days. Insurance carriers do not impose wildfire surcharges on Virginia Beach addresses. For residents relocating from California or Colorado, the practical difference is striking: no annual clearance inspection, no ember-resistant vent mandate, and no evacuation zone mapping tied to wildfire.