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Half Moon Bay officials and residents weigh costs and controls as statemaps reclassify fire hazard zones
Summary
City staff and Coastside Fire described how updated state fire-hazard severity maps and proposed Zone 0 ember-resistance rules could require inspections, defensible-space work and building changes for properties in Very High hazard zones; residents urged caution about downtown tree and awning removals and asked for funding and phased implementation.
City and county officials and residents spent the Nov. 18 joint study session focused on newly issued state fire-hazard severity maps and the practical effect of impending "Zone 0" ember-resistance rules.
Todd Sealy, interim public works director, told the council and planning commission that the maps "evaluate hazard, not risk," and that they were developed under California Government Code section 51178 and Assembly Bill 3074. Sealy said the maps identify Very High, High and Moderate hazard areas and that changes could trigger inspections, building-code requirements and disclosure rules tied to Chapter 7A of the building code.
Why it matters: Staff and the Coastside Fire Protection District said implementation could have significant fiscal and landscape impacts. Sealy noted tree-removal estimates of about $10,000 per tree in typical urban settings and as much as $30,000 per tree in steep sites such as Frenchman's Creek where cranes and special disposal are needed. He also said there is no large-scale grant funding identified to pay for sweeping removals.
Coastside Fire Chief Jed Wilson outlined expected enforcement and inspection approaches and emphasized that the maps are intended to identify hazard conditions based on fuels, topography and embercast modeling rather than parcel characteristics. "For the very high in the LRA, there is defensible space. Inspections are required by the agency," Wilson said, adding that inspections would likely be phased as the district builds staffing capacity.
Residents, downtown business owners and commissioners asked the city and fire district to avoid blunt, one-size-fits-all enforcement in the downtown historic core. "If we end up raising everything in our downtown, getting rid of every planter, every tree, every bench, what we're going to actually end up with is a massive heat sink," said Amber Stowe, who owns a Main Street business. Several speakers recommended alternatives: targeted fuel reduction beyond the downtown canopy, noncombustible awnings, and use of Firewise community programs to reduce insurance exposure.
Council and staff next steps: Staff said the Board of Forestry is expected to finalize Zone 0 rules soon and that new-construction requirements could start Jan. 1, 2026; staff repeatedly cautioned that some dates remain subject to the Board's final actions and that the city will work with the district on phased inspections. Staff requested resident feedback on the fire-specific policies by Nov. 20 to forward to Cal Fire for an initial review.
Costs, timelines and legal effects: Officials said that Chapter 7A building-code measures, CEQA triggers for some projects in Very High zones, and hazard-disclosure requirements on sales will apply in different ways depending on zone designation. Sealy urged residents to note that the maps "are designed to reduce risk to homes and structures," while commissioners and public commenters pressed for clearer funding, technical guidance and protections for heritage downtown properties.
The conversation ended with staff pledging outreach materials and coordinated inspection protocols, and with the city inviting written comment on fire-related policies before staff forwards a package for Cal Fire review.
