Chino Valley Fire District outlines new Cal Fire local hazard severity maps and public comment timeline

Fire Chief Williams and Fire Marshal Daniella O'Toole presented details of newly released Cal Fire fire hazard severity maps to the Chino Hills City Council on April 8, explaining what the state maps mean for local planning, building and disclosure requirements.

Fire Marshal O'Toole said Cal Fire used a science-based model that evaluated fire history, vegetation, flame length, embers, proximity to wildland, terrain and weather to assign zones classified as very high, high or moderate. She said the county received its Local Responsibility Area maps in late March and that San Bernardino County published an online interactive map and began a 30-day public comment period in April.

O'Toole explained the timeline the state code sets: maps must be made available for public review within 30 days of receipt, and a local ordinance adopting the LRA map must be taken to the relevant board within 120 days. "Within a hundred and 20 days of receiving the map, the map is to be adopted by ordinance," she said, and that the fire district anticipated taking the ordinance to its board in May or June and completing adoption in June or July before submitting it to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.

O'Toole described the regulatory effects: properties mapped as very high would face planning and development requirements already used in some building standards, subdivision reviews and safety-element work; property owners in very high zones must maintain defensible space and must provide hazard disclosure on sale. She said properties in high zones would need to comply with building standards when constructing new structures and would likewise require hazard disclosure at sale.

Council members thanked the fire district for outreach and noted the change in mapped acreage compared with prior maps. Councilmember Marquez requested information about the district’s contract with Cal Fire; Chief Williams said the contract primarily provides aircraft, hand crews and heavy equipment the district cannot own, calling it an "insurance policy" for quick access to resources.

O'Toole pointed council and residents to the fire district's web page and to Cal Fire's materials, including FAQs and fact sheets, and said the district would accept public comments for the month of April. She said the district is not proposing local map changes at this time and urged property owners to consult the interactive map to determine how their parcels are affected.