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Ukiah Valley Fire District adopts state fire-hazard severity map after new law removes local veto
Summary
The Ukiah Valley Fire District board adopted an ordinance to adopt CAL FIRE’s updated fire hazard severity zone map for its local responsibility area after a state law now requires local adoption; board members noted they may later choose to be more restrictive but said they had no choice to reject the map.
The Ukiah Valley Fire District Board of Directors on Monday adopted an ordinance formally accepting the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s updated fire hazard severity zone map for the district’s local responsibility area.
The adoption was the second step of a two-meeting process introduced at the board’s prior meeting; staff said a recent change in state law now requires local jurisdictions to adopt the map rather than allowing local discretion.
“Government code says now you shall adopt it,” said Matt, the district presenter, explaining that the map itself is produced by CAL FIRE and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. He told the board that the new map was released in February and that the district’s choices are limited to adopting the map as written or adopting a more restrictive local standard.
Board members discussed how the map is best viewed on the CAL FIRE website — staff said the 8½-by-11 printouts in the packet were difficult to read — and noted that local governments and fire departments were invited to comment during the map’s development but that comments do not change the produced map.
Directors also said adopting stricter local standards would be the only way to reduce regulated areas locally. One director noted a potential benefit to adopting tougher local standards: eligible communities can qualify as a “fire enhanced community,” which may provide a pathway to insurance discounts.
The board voted 5–0 to adopt the ordinance. President Buschby, Vice President Jennings, Director Crotty, Director Graham and Director Cranny voted in favor; Director Kovalon was reported absent earlier in the meeting.
The board did not adopt any local expansions to the high- or very-high-hazard areas at this meeting; staff said the district could consider more restrictive local regulations in the future but had chosen not to do so at this time.
Staff noted that the map shows historical likelihood of fire and does not account for property-level mitigation measures, meaning work such as re-roofing with noncombustible materials or screening vents would not change an individual property’s designation on the map.
The ordinance and the map will be posted with the district’s records and are available on the CAL FIRE website for property-level searches and viewing.
