A legislative proposal to overhaul California’s decades-old wildfire mapping system is generating intense debate, with critics saying it threatens to fundamentally reshape the state’s fire and housing policies and increase development in fire-prone areas.
Senate Bill 610 seeks to repeal current rules that classify state and local lands into “moderate,” “high” and “very high” fire hazard severity zones — a process that rates areas based on their probability of burning, which in turn influences development patterns and building safety standards.
The legislation would instead empower the state fire marshal to designate lands as a “wildfire mitigation area” and dispense with the tiered severity zones. Residents and developers in a wildfire mitigation area would be required to follow the same fire hardening precautions, whereas currently the precautions vary according to the degree of assessed hazard.
Supporters say the move would create a more consistent standard with one process for approval. They say it would also allow for more public input and ensure that all development in fire-prone areas meets minimum safety requirements.