Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Maps topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
OCFA briefs council on new Cal Fire hazard maps; Mission Viejo schedules May 19 town hall
Summary
OCFA Chief Shane Moll told the council Cal Fire released updated hazard-severity maps; the city will host a May 19 town hall with insurers, legislators and OCFA to discuss implications including CEQA, subdivision review, and disclosure changes.
Orange County Fire Authority Chief Shane Moll briefed the Mission Viejo City Council on March 25 about updated state fire hazard severity maps recently released by Cal Fire and how the changes may affect local planning and disclosure requirements.
Chief Moll explained the maps evaluate hazard — a 50-year view based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather and other factors — which differs from risk, a current assessment that accounts for mitigation measures such as defensible space and building hardening. He said the state used updated modeling and that Senate Bill 63 (2021) requires adoption of moderate, high and very-high hazard classes into local responsibility areas.
Moll said the city fared well overall: the number of structures in the very-high category dropped in Mission Viejo compared with the prior maps (2,669 in 2011 to 1,543 in the current very-high category). He said OCFA is preparing an interactive tool to let residents compare old and new maps and that Cal Fire remains the authoritative source.
Mayor and staff announced a May 19 town hall on the maps that will include OCFA, the sheriff's department, the insurance commissioner’s office (a representative was invited), building industry stakeholders and legislators to explain practical implications for property owners, subdivision review, CEQA, and hazard disclosures related to home sales.
The city has posted the new maps and a news article on the city website and set up a comment link to Cal Fire’s interactive pages. OCFA and city staff encouraged residents to review the map and attend the town hall to learn what mitigation steps and disclosure changes might mean for homeowners and development projects.
The council did not take formal action on the maps but directed staff to continue outreach and to post materials online.
