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Mill Valley hears Cal Fire map briefing; council told state map must be adopted locally within 120 days
Summary
Division Chief Fred Hilliard told the City Council that Cal Fire’s updated Local Responsibility Area maps require local agencies to adopt designations by ordinance after receiving the state recommendations, may expand high/moderate areas, affect building and disclosure rules, and open eligibility for grants.
Division Chief Fire Marshal Fred Hilliard of Southern Marin Fire told the Mill Valley City Council on May 19 that the California State Fire Marshal’s updated fire hazard severity zone maps require local agencies to act quickly and cannot be reduced below the state’s designation.
Hilliard said the governmental code requires local agencies to “designate it by ordinance a moderate, high and very high fire severity zone in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the state Fire Marshal pursuant to section 51178.” The maps, he said, are built on fuel modeling and topography rather than on where structures are located.
The presentation explained the difference between the state’s severity-zone modeling and local Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) maps: “The very high fire severity zone … did not include structures … it was all based on topography, it was based on wind, it was based on that fuel,” Hilliard said, while WUI mapping overlays structures and ember-broadcasting risk.
Hilliard told council that adopting the state map is required to remain compliant and to preserve eligibility for some grants and federal funding. He noted the state requirement for sellers in those zones under SB 38: “If you’re in any type of fire hazard severity zone, you have to have an inspection prior to the sale of your property” focused on defensible-space vegetation, not on structural retrofits.
Councilmembers pressed Hilliard on practical effects: whether inspections would require vents or window replacement (Hilliard said SB 38 requires vegetation inspections tied to California Code of Regulations 4291, not retrofitting), and whether adoption would force immediate changes for existing homes (he said it would not force wholesale rebuilds but could affect new construction requirements). He also described ongoing state work on defining “Zone 0” near structures and a state Board of Forestry meeting on June 18 about that issue.
Hilliard acknowledged residents’ insurance concerns and described a state task force engaging insurers to explore whether home-hardening incentives would bring reinsurance appetite back to high-risk areas; he recommended using local grant funds to support defensible space and home-hardening measures.
Next steps: Hilliard said the Southern Marin jurisdiction completed a first reading and planned a second reading and public comment at its next meeting, with adoption to follow. Council and staff said they would coordinate with Southern Marin Fire and MWPA to integrate local WUI planning and to present clear outreach materials to residents about inspections, grants and what adoption means for homeowners.
