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Council Introduces Ordinance Adopting Updated State Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps for Pinole
Summary
Pinole’s City Council introduced an ordinance on May 20 to adopt California Department of Forestry (Cal Fire) fire hazard severity zone maps (FRAP). Staff said most of the city’s newly mapped areas are categorized as 'moderate' and that adopting the maps preserves consistency with state fire-management planning.
Pinole — The City Council on May 20 introduced an ordinance to adopt updated fire hazard severity zone maps developed by the California Department of Forestry (Cal Fire) under the state’s FRAP mapping program.
City staff said the new FRAP maps, published in February 2025, represent the first significant statewide update since 2009 and reflect new wildfire-behavior modeling that considers topography, vegetation and climate data. The updated maps divide areas into moderate, high and very-high fire-hazard severity zones. For Pinole, staff said much of the city is now designated as moderate severity under the revised model.
The city’s fire-protection contractor, Con Fire, reviewed the updated designations and staff recommended adopting the maps by ordinance to remain consistent with state and regional wildfire resilience planning. City staff emphasized that adopting the FRAP maps is primarily an administrative step: it does not automatically change zoning or immediately impose additional local building standards for moderate-designated areas. Enhanced building-code requirements and stricter defensible-space rules are options in high‑ or very‑high zones and are not mandatory in moderate zones, the staff report said.
Council members asked whether designations would affect insurance premiums, how frequently the maps are updated and what residents should do about defensible‑space and preparedness. Staff said the FRAP update is driven by Cal Fire’s modeling and not the city; maps are updated as Cal Fire undertakes new statewide modeling. Staff pointed the public to Con Fire’s website for an interactive slider showing before-and-after maps and said the city will assess local implications for building and defensible-space guidance and public education.
During the meeting the council voted to waive first reading and introduce the ordinance for adoption; staff will return with implementation details and any recommended local measures that may be prudent for affected neighborhoods.
Speakers included fire and planning staff and council members who discussed the maps’ implications for preparedness and outreach.
