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Laguna Hills adopts updated fire hazard severity zone maps required by state
Summary
Council unanimously adopted an ordinance adding Chapter 10-84 to the Laguna Hills Municipal Code to incorporate CAL FIRE local responsibility area fire hazard severity zone maps; maps designate moderate, high and very high zones and trigger building, disclosure and defensible-space requirements for properties in mapped areas.
The Laguna Hills City Council on June 24 adopted an ordinance to incorporate the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) 2025 Local Responsibility Area (LRA) fire hazard severity zone maps into the municipal code.
City Manager Hillenbrand and staff told the council that the state transmitted updated maps March 24 and that, for the first time, portions of northern Laguna Hills (near Mill Creek and the DMV corridor) appear on the 2025 maps as moderate, high and very-high fire hazard severity zones. The city is required to post the maps for public review and adopt an ordinance within the state-prescribed timelines.
Staff described regulatory effects: properties mapped as very high fire hazard severity require a 100-foot defensible-space buffer and compliance with Chapter 7A of the California Building Code for construction materials and exterior wildfire exposure; properties in high zones must meet Chapter 7A building-code requirements and be disclosed in real-estate transactions; moderate zones are identified but carry no immediate construction requirements. Staff said the city is not recommending expansion of mapped areas beyond the state map.
Councilmember Wheeler asked whether the new standards apply retroactively; staff said they do not apply retroactively, but certain exterior remodels (for example ADUs, reroofs, window or exterior changes) may trigger the home-hardening requirements if performed within the mapped zones. The council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
What happens next: the city will transmit the adopting ordinance to CAL FIRE and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, and affected property owners will see map-based disclosure and, for certain future construction or remodels, additional building-material requirements.
