California Updates Fire Hazard Maps

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Monday released updated fire hazard maps that rate the likelihood of forest fires in different parts of the state, CBS News reported.

The maps, which are interactive and available to the public, divide the state into Fire Hazard Severity Zones rated Very High, High, or Moderate. The new maps, the first update to the state's fire hazard maps in nearly 15 years, show that the size of "very high fire hazard" zones increased by more than 150,000 acres in Southern California since 2011, or just over 25%.

CalMatters, a news outlet, reported that the new maps could affect one in 10 Californians who live in "high" and "very high" fire hazard zones, making them subject to specialized building codes and real estate disclosure rules.

"The reason we map these areas is to tie these really important wildfire mitigations to them, helping us to ensure that as we build out new communities we're building to the level of hazard that exists, giving them an increased chance of surviving a wildfire," Daniel Berlant, the state's fire marshal, told CalMatters.

"This map, and the levels of fire hazard, really just match with the conditions our firefighters have been experiencing for several years now," Berlant said in a statement this month.

• New Fire Hazard Maps Unveiled for Central Calif.
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