How do I find out if my house is in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone?

Enter your street address in the checker on this page. It queries the official California CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Fire Hazard Severity Zone data at your exact coordinates and returns whether your parcel is in a Moderate, High, or Very High zone, and whether it sits in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) or Local Responsibility Area (LRA). For the binding, legal determination, confirm the result on the official CAL FIRE FHSZ viewer and with your local fire authority.

What is the difference between Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones?

Fire Hazard Severity Zones rank the likelihood and expected intensity of wildfire over a 30-to-50-year horizon based on vegetation, terrain, weather, ember exposure, and fire history — not on any single property. Moderate is the lowest mapped tier, High is intermediate, and Very High (often abbreviated VHFHSZ) is the most hazardous. The tier is what triggers legal obligations: Very High zones carry the fullest set of defensible-space, building-code, and disclosure requirements, and High zones now carry many of the same obligations under the updated maps.

What is the difference between SRA and LRA?

California land is split by who is legally responsible for wildfire protection. State Responsibility Areas (SRA) are primarily wildland and rural areas protected by CAL FIRE. Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) are incorporated cities and developed areas protected by a local or county fire department. Defensible-space law (PRC §4291) applies to every SRA parcel regardless of hazard class, and to High and Very High parcels within the LRA. Federal Responsibility Areas (FRA) are federal land and are mapped separately.

Were the California fire hazard maps recently updated?

Yes. CAL FIRE and OSFM completed a major update: the Fire Hazard Severity Zones in State Responsibility Areas took effect April 1, 2024, and the recommended Local Responsibility Area maps were released in four phases through March 2025. The update added Moderate and High tiers to the LRA maps for the first time and expanded the total mapped acreage, which is why many homeowners who were not previously in a mapped zone now are.

My home is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. What now?

A Very High designation typically triggers three things: defensible space including the new Zone 0 five-foot ember-resistant perimeter under AB 3074, point-of-sale defensible-space documentation under AB 38 when you sell, and Chapter 7A ignition-resistant building standards for new construction or rebuilds. It also affects insurance — carriers weigh FHSZ heavily in renewal and pricing decisions. The practical starting point is our free 60-second readiness check, which scores your home against the Zone 0 framework and shows your gaps.

Does being in a fire hazard zone affect my home insurance?

Substantially. California insurers use Fire Hazard Severity Zone status, alongside their own wildfire risk scores, in decisions to write, renew, non-renew, and price policies. Homeowners in High and Very High zones are the most likely to face non-renewal and to end up on the California FAIR Plan. Documented mitigation — defensible space, home hardening, and a lower community risk score — is what carriers credit under Insurance Bulletin 2022-08, so the map is the starting point for a plan, not a verdict.

Is this checker the official CAL FIRE map?

No. FireReadyHome is a private homeowner resource and is not affiliated with CAL FIRE or any government agency. Our checker reads from the official state-hosted CAL FIRE / OSFM Fire Hazard Severity Zone data to give you a fast, indicative answer, and every result links you to the official CAL FIRE viewer, which is the authoritative source for your parcel.

California FHSZ Lookup

Is your home in a fire hazard zone?

Check your address against the official California CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map — updated for 2024–2025 — and see in seconds whether you’re in a Moderate, High, or Very High zone, plus exactly what it means for defensible space, selling your home, and insurance.

What a Fire Hazard Severity Zone actually is

A Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) is a geographic area that the State of California has mapped and classified by its long-term wildfire hazard — the likelihood that a fire will occur and the expected intensity if it does. CAL FIRE and the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) build these maps from vegetation and fuel type, terrain and slope, historical fire weather, and the exposure of an area to wind-driven embers. Every mapped parcel lands in one of three tiers: Moderate, High, or Very High.

The distinction that trips people up: FHSZ measures hazard, not risk. Hazard is about the physical conditions of the landscape over a 30-to-50-year horizon and does not change based on what you do to your individual home. Risk is about the chance of loss to a specific structure, which your defensible space and home hardening absolutely do change. The map tells you which rules apply; your mitigation determines how your home fares within them.

Why the map matters to youYour FHSZ tier is the switch that turns California’s wildfire laws on or off for your property — defensible space and Zone 0, point-of-sale inspection when you sell, building code for new construction, and how insurers treat your renewal. It is the first fact to establish before anything else.

SRA, LRA, and FRA: who is responsible for your land

California overlays the hazard map with a second map of responsibility areas — who is legally on the hook for wildfire protection where you live:

State Responsibility Area (SRA) — mostly wildland and rural land protected by CAL FIRE. Every SRA parcel is subject to defensible-space law (Public Resources Code §4291) regardless of its hazard tier.
Local Responsibility Area (LRA) — incorporated cities and developed areas protected by a city or county fire department. In the LRA, the High and Very High tiers are what carry the defensible-space and disclosure obligations.
Federal Responsibility Area (FRA) — national forest and other federal land, mapped and managed separately.

The checker above reports both facts — your hazard class and your responsibility area — because you need both to know which rules apply.

The 2024–2025 map update — why your zone may have changed

California just completed the largest FHSZ update in over a decade. The State Responsibility Area maps took effect April 1, 2024, and the recommended Local Responsibility Area maps rolled out in four phases through March 2025. Two things changed that matter to homeowners:

The LRA maps now include Moderate and High tiers. Previously, LRA maps only designated Very High zones. Cities and counties are adopting the recommended maps, which means millions of parcels are newly mapped into a hazard tier for the first time.
Total mapped acreage expanded. Updated fire science and post-2017 fire history pushed more of California into High and Very High designations. If you checked years ago and came up clear, it is worth checking again — the answer may be different now.

What each zone triggers for a California homeowner

Your tier and responsibility area determine which of these four obligations apply. The checker maps them to your specific result; here is the full framework:

1. Defensible space & Zone 0 (AB 3074 / PRC §4291)

If you’re in the SRA, or in a High or Very High LRA zone, you owe defensible space: 100 feet of managed vegetation, plus the new Zone 0 five-foot ember-resistant perimeter created by AB 3074. Zone 0 is the single highest-leverage thing most homeowners can do, and it’s where enforcement and insurer attention are concentrating.

2. AB 38 point-of-sale inspection

Selling a home in a High or Very High zone triggers AB 38 — a documented defensible-space compliance obligation and buyer disclosure. The process, fee, and even whether a named program exists vary sharply by jurisdiction, from free county inspections to published fees.

3. Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction

New construction and many rebuilds in Very High zones (and SRA designated WUI) must meet California Building Code Chapter 7A — Class A roofing, ember-resistant vents, fire-rated siding, tempered windows, and WUI-listed decking. This is the structure-side complement to defensible space.

4. Insurance

FHSZ status is a primary input to how California carriers write, renew, and price policies. High and Very High homeowners are the most exposed to non-renewal and to the California FAIR Plan. The map is the starting point for a mitigation plan that carriers credit — not a final verdict on insurability.

Turn your zone into a plan in 60 secondsOnce you know your tier, the free Zone 0 readiness check scores your home against the 12-item framework and shows exactly which gaps to close first — DIY, contractor, financing, or insurance.

How to look up your fire hazard zone (official sources)

Use the checker at the top of this page for a fast, indicative answer drawn from the official state data. For the binding, parcel-level determination — and to see the map itself — use the official sources directly:

The OSFM Fire Hazard Severity Zones program page — the authoritative CAL FIRE viewer and adopted maps.
Your local fire department or county fire authority — for LRA parcels, they hold the adopted local map and any ordinance stricter than the state standard.
Our official California resources index — curated direct links to CAL FIRE, the Board of Forestry, and the Department of Insurance.

Fire hazard zones by county

Hazard exposure, local ordinances, and insurance conditions vary enormously across California. Our county guides cover the mapped VHFHSZ concentrations, local rules, recent fire history, and the insurance picture where you live:

Los Angeles County · San Diego County · Orange County · Ventura County
Sonoma County · Napa County · Marin County · Santa Barbara County
El Dorado County · Placer County · Nevada County · Butte County

Sources: California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Fire Hazard Severity Zones program and viewer; CAL FIRE FHSZ in SRA effective April 1, 2024, and recommended LRA maps (2025 rollout); California Public Resources Code §4291; Assembly Bill 3074 (2020) and SB 504 (2024); California Civil Code §1102.6f (AB 38); California Building Code Chapter 7A; California Department of Insurance Bulletin 2022-08. FireReadyHome is not affiliated with CAL FIRE or any government agency.

Fire Hazard Severity Zone FAQ

How do I find out if my house is in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone?: Enter your street address in the checker on this page. It queries the official California CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Fire Hazard Severity Zone data at your exact coordinates and returns whether your parcel is in a Moderate, High, or Very High zone, and whether it sits in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) or Local Responsibility Area (LRA). For the binding, legal determination, confirm the result on the official CAL FIRE FHSZ viewer and with your local fire authority.
What is the difference between Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones?: Fire Hazard Severity Zones rank the likelihood and expected intensity of wildfire over a 30-to-50-year horizon based on vegetation, terrain, weather, ember exposure, and fire history — not on any single property. Moderate is the lowest mapped tier, High is intermediate, and Very High (often abbreviated VHFHSZ) is the most hazardous. The tier is what triggers legal obligations: Very High zones carry the fullest set of defensible-space, building-code, and disclosure requirements, and High zones now carry many of the same obligations under the updated maps.
What is the difference between SRA and LRA?: California land is split by who is legally responsible for wildfire protection. State Responsibility Areas (SRA) are primarily wildland and rural areas protected by CAL FIRE. Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) are incorporated cities and developed areas protected by a local or county fire department. Defensible-space law (PRC §4291) applies to every SRA parcel regardless of hazard class, and to High and Very High parcels within the LRA. Federal Responsibility Areas (FRA) are federal land and are mapped separately.
Were the California fire hazard maps recently updated?: Yes. CAL FIRE and OSFM completed a major update: the Fire Hazard Severity Zones in State Responsibility Areas took effect April 1, 2024, and the recommended Local Responsibility Area maps were released in four phases through March 2025. The update added Moderate and High tiers to the LRA maps for the first time and expanded the total mapped acreage, which is why many homeowners who were not previously in a mapped zone now are.
My home is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. What now?: A Very High designation typically triggers three things: defensible space including the new Zone 0 five-foot ember-resistant perimeter under AB 3074, point-of-sale defensible-space documentation under AB 38 when you sell, and Chapter 7A ignition-resistant building standards for new construction or rebuilds. It also affects insurance — carriers weigh FHSZ heavily in renewal and pricing decisions. The practical starting point is our free 60-second readiness check, which scores your home against the Zone 0 framework and shows your gaps.
Does being in a fire hazard zone affect my home insurance?: Substantially. California insurers use Fire Hazard Severity Zone status, alongside their own wildfire risk scores, in decisions to write, renew, non-renew, and price policies. Homeowners in High and Very High zones are the most likely to face non-renewal and to end up on the California FAIR Plan. Documented mitigation — defensible space, home hardening, and a lower community risk score — is what carriers credit under Insurance Bulletin 2022-08, so the map is the starting point for a plan, not a verdict.
Is this checker the official CAL FIRE map?: No. FireReadyHome is a private homeowner resource and is not affiliated with CAL FIRE or any government agency. Our checker reads from the official state-hosted CAL FIRE / OSFM Fire Hazard Severity Zone data to give you a fast, indicative answer, and every result links you to the official CAL FIRE viewer, which is the authoritative source for your parcel.

You know your zone. Now close the gaps.

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