The Imperial Beach City Council introduced an ordinance June 4 to adopt California’s fire hazard severity zone maps for the city’s jurisdictional areas, following a presentation by Fire Chief French explaining the state mapping process and local implications.

Lede: Fire Chief French told the council that “state law requires the city to adopt the recommendations by ordinance within 120 days,” and the council introduced Ordinance 2025‑1255 by title, waiving full reading and scheduling adoption at the next regular meeting.

Why it matters: The adopted maps identify areas where wildland‑urban‑interface planning rules and defensible‑space requirements apply and can trigger additional construction and disclosure obligations for properties in higher‑severity zones.

What the chief explained
- Chief French summarized Cal Fire’s methodology — including fire history, vegetation, ember behavior, terrain and weather — and said the state provided maps showing “moderate,” “high,” and “very high” designations. He noted the city’s primary area of local concern is a northern corridor where “high” and “moderate” zones were delineated.
- The chief clarified scope: the new requirements apply to new construction in the higher‑severity areas and do not require retrofitting of existing homes. He described specific building changes that new construction might need, such as fire‑approved ventilation to reduce ember intrusion.
- He also addressed insurance concerns, citing California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s guidance that the state’s Cal Fire hazard maps “do not affect insurance rates or the availability,” and that insurers use their own risk models to set premiums.

Council action and clarifications
- The council introduced ordinance 2025‑1255 by title and waived the full reading; the motion carried unanimously with Councilmember Leila Gonzalez absent.
- Councilmembers asked staff to confirm how disclosures would be handled on property transfers and to overlay the fire hazard zone map into the city’s permitting system so flagged properties show the map during entitlement reviews.

Next steps
- The ordinance was introduced and set for adoption at the next regular council meeting per state law timelines. Staff said they would coordinate with community development to flag affected properties and consider whether additional disclosure language should be added to local procedures.

Ending: The council moved forward with the required local action to align city regulations with the state‑issued fire hazard severity zones while directing staff to advise on disclosure and permitting implementation.