Fire chief urges local review of new state hazard maps; proposes adjusted boundaries and homeowner preparation

Fire Chief Greg Lloyd told the Public Safety Commission on April 14 that newly published state fire hazard severity zone maps designate almost the entire western edge of South Pasadena as Very High fire hazard severity, and he urged local review and community education.

“These maps are hazard maps, not risk maps,” Lloyd said, distinguishing the state’s 30‑to‑50‑year hazard modeling from the insurer assessments that influence premiums. He explained the maps are built from statewide inputs and that the state used an ember‑cast model for urban (non‑wildland) areas such as South Pasadena. “A hazard map is basically a physical condition that creates the likelihood of expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50 year period without considering mitigation measures,” he said.

Nut graf: the designation has potential implications for building requirements, defensible‑space inspections and real‑estate disclosure, and Lloyd told commissioners the city may use its authority under Government Code 51179 to amend boundaries upward where the state’s input excluded smaller urban fuel beds. He emphasized that local action primarily centers on education, evacuation planning and code alignment rather than immediate mandatory reconstruction.

Lloyd reviewed the legal framework behind the maps, citing Public Resources Code provisions and the state’s mandate to publish Moderate/High/Very High zones under Senate Bill 63. He described methodological limits: the state classifies areas as wildland only when at least 200 contiguous acres of fuel exist; otherwise the ember‑cast model applies. That distinction, he said, helps explain why some portions of the Monterey Hills were mapped differently even though terrain and fuels appear continuous on the ground.

Lloyd and commissioners discussed practical consequences: California Building Code Chapter 7A home‑hardening standards for new construction, a 0‑to‑5‑foot “0 zone” limit on combustible material near structures phased in with partial implementation beginning in 2026 and retroactive compliance by 2029, annual defensible‑space inspections and mandatory disclosure in property transactions. Lloyd said the city can request map adjustments but not downgrades: the state will allow local changes only to move areas up in severity, not down.

Mitigation and operational recommendations included home hardening (mesh venting, low‑profile vents), removal of combustible materials adjacent to houses (stacked wood, plastic furniture, dense mulch), trimming overhanging trees, and maintaining clear fire‑apparatus access roads. Lloyd cited an unobstructed fire‑apparatus width of 20 feet under fire code Section 503; 28 feet allows parking on one side and 36 feet allows parking on both sides. He flagged evacuation bottlenecks in narrow hillside streets and suggested education, signage and potentially parking restrictions on high‑risk days.

Commissioners pressed for clarity about insurance impacts, responsibilities for parcels still owned by Caltrans, and practical enforcement of defensible‑space rules. Lloyd said utilities and Verdugo mutual aid partners can use the maps as a planning layer and that adjusted local boundaries could help make mapping easier to explain to residents (for example, aligning lines with street edges). He also said the city intends to publish the maps, host public education sessions, gather feedback and discuss ordinance alignment and tree‑ordinance revisions with relevant commissions before any formal Council action.