Woodside council ratifies updated fire hazard map; officials stress maps are hazard tools, not insurance verdicts

The Woodside Town Council on July 22 unanimously ratified an ordinance adopted by the Woodside Fire Protection District that updates fire hazard severity zone maps used for land‑use planning.

The action rescinded the town’s 2008 map and ratified the 2025 map the fire district adopted (Ordinance No. 25‑01). The council approved the staff recommendation by roll call vote: Council member Abarish — yes; Council member Brown — yes; Council member Gold — yes; Council member Wall — yes; Mayor Domkowski — yes.

Why it matters: The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) issues statewide Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps that communities use in development review and to define where certain state or local defensible‑space rules apply. Residents raised questions at the meeting about what the new map means for insurance, inspections and real‑estate disclosures.

Fire Marshal Kim Giuliaci told the council and residents that FHSZ maps are hazard maps designed for land‑use planning and are not direct measures of individual property risk. "These maps are hazard maps. They have nothing to do with the risk that you are in living in a wildland‑urban interface," Giuliaci said, adding that the maps inform how state law applies but do not change local requirements the district already enforces.

Council and public discussion clarified three related points: (1) the Fire Hazard Severity Zone map is produced at a broad state level and can differ from ground‑level observations; (2) the Woodside Fire Protection District’s local fuel‑mitigation ordinance applies district‑wide regardless of a parcel’s FHSZ category; and (3) the map itself does not compel insurance companies to change coverage or premiums — insurers make independent assessments of risk.

A public commenter said the local fire district’s enforcement and real‑estate inspection timing (including actions triggered on a property sale) are a separate existing requirement and that adopting the state map should not be conflated with those local procedures. Town staff confirmed the 2025 map was included in the packet attached to the fire district ordinance and available for public review.

Discussion vs. decision: The council’s vote was a ratification (formal decision). Much of the meeting time on the item was a Q&A clarifying the map’s purpose and relationship to local ordinances and insurance markets.

Ending: Council members thanked the fire marshal for the presentation and for working with the town; the item concluded with unanimous approval.