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Board adopts state fire hazard severity maps and approves county fire hazard reduction program; officials warn of expanded scope
Summary
The Board adopted Ventura County Fire Protection District Ordinance No. 33 to accept the state’s 2025 local responsibility area fire hazard severity zone maps and approved the county’s 2025 Fire Hazard Reduction Program, steps county staff say will expand the number of parcels subject to defensible‑space and home‑hardening rules.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors adopted Ventura County Fire Protection District Ordinance No. 33 on May 13, accepting the California State Fire Marshal’s proposed 2025 Local Responsibility Area (LRA) fire hazard severity zone maps. The board also approved the Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP) for 2025 and a resolution authorizing the fire chief to abate identified out‑of‑compliance properties.
Fire marshal Joe Morelli told the board the state maps are the first update in 15 years and must be adopted under state law; local jurisdictions may not use the process to reduce mapped hazard areas. The county’s review found the proposed mapping increases the number of parcels in very high fire hazard zones from roughly 48,000 to about 59,000 and brings the total number of mapped parcels to approximately 90,000 — an increase Morelli described as roughly 8% of county parcels falling into newly mapped areas.
Morelli said the maps were developed by CAL FIRE using modeling of fuel, weather and topography; the state’s mapping currently takes fire history into account only through 2019, meaning fires since 2019 generally will not be reflected until a future update. He warned that adoption would trigger practical consequences for homeowners and county programs: defensible‑space obligations, home‑hardening standards for new construction (including Chapter 7A measures such as class‑A roofs and ember‑resistant features) in high and very high zones, and an immediate increase in the number of Assembly Bill 38 real‑estate disclosure inspections. Morelli and staff told supervisors they expect AB 38 inspections to at least double beginning July 1, 2025, and that demand for public education and inspection capacity will grow.
The board adopted Ordinance No. 33 (vote: unanimous) and scheduled a second public hearing on the maps for May 20, 2025 as required by the process. Morelli said the maps would be effective July 1, 2025 if adopted.
On the companion item, the board approved the Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP) for 2025. County staff said it mailed roughly 19,000 notices this spring to property owners in mapped zones and that the county’s program — which has existed for decades — is primarily education‑focused; last year only 21 of the parcels contacted required formal county abatement. The resolution the board approved authorizes the fire chief to order abatement of parcels found out of compliance after required notices and hearings.
Supervisors asked about resource and cost implications. Morelli acknowledged the county is not currently staffed to address all increased inspection and outreach demand and said staff are developing options to prioritize work and partner with Firewise councils, cities and community groups. Supervisors and public commenters urged clear, sustained community outreach and emphasized that insurance companies appear to use different risk models, which complicates homeowner questions about insurance availability or premiums.
The board’s adoption of the maps and the FHRP passed unanimously.
