Taft council hears state fire-hazard map presentation; officials discuss building standards, disclosures and insurance concerns

Kern County Fire Department staff told the Taft City Council on Tuesday that new state fire-hazard severity zone maps, produced by CAL FIRE, expand areas within the city designated as high or moderate risk and will trigger local requirements for building standards and real-estate hazard disclosures.

The presentation was delivered by Kerry Wright of the Kern County Fire Department and Sean Riley, deputy fire marshal. Riley said the state used fire history through 2020, vegetation, predicted flame lengths, ember exposure, weather history and terrain to create the maps and pass them to local jurisdictions under government code. “CAL FIRE uses basically, science,” Riley said.

The session focused on what adoption would mean for property owners. For areas the state classifies inside the local responsibility area as “high,” the council would be required under state law to adopt the maps and enforce the Assembly Bill 38 (AB 38) hazard disclosure for sales;…