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San Benito supervisors adopt state fire-hazard maps amid insurance concerns
Summary
The Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance accepting 2025 fire hazard severity maps for local response areas, prompting debate about insurance impacts, homeowner disclosure and outreach. The measure passed 4-1.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 May 6 to adopt an ordinance accepting the Office of the State Fire Marshal's 2025 fire hazard severity zone maps for the county's local responsibility area.
The ordinance formalizes Cal Fire's updated designations of moderate, high and very-high hazard zones and requires the county to submit the adopted ordinance back to the state. "Cal Fire uses very scientific modeling, to come up with these maps," Chief Goulding said during the public hearing, describing the agency's 30-year historical modeling of wind, fuel and moisture that produced the designations.
Supervisors and residents raised concerns that adoption could prompt insurance companies to cancel or decline coverage for properties mapped as higher hazard. "The state is stating that the insurance…
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