2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Update

The Auburn Fire Department is in the process of updating the City’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone
(FHSZ) map to comply with state-mandated fire hazard classifications and ensure consistency with
local conditions. This update follows California Government Code Section 51178, which requires
the Office of the State Fire Marshal to identify moderate, high, and very high fire hazard zones
based on a standardized, science-driven model. Additionally, California Government Code Section
51179 mandates the State Fire Marshal to provide recommendations for local adoption of these
designations.

CALFIRE’s scientists and wildfire mitigation experts developed the FHSZ map using a sciencebased,
field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire
likelihood and fire behavior. Many factors are considered, such as fire history, natural vegetation,
terrain, predicted flame lengths, ember travel, and typical fire weather patterns. The data provided
by CALFIRE did not align with existing parcel boundaries, necessitating local modifications by
the Auburn Fire Department and its GIS contractor.

The Auburn Fire Department applied the following methodology while modifying the map:

Parcels spanning multiple hazard zones were adjusted to the highest classification present.
(Ex: Parcels containing both high and very high hazard designations were classified very
high.)
Isolated pockets or “doughnut holes” – where a lower-rated parcel was surrounded by
higher-rated zones were upgraded to match the surrounding hazard classification.

Per California Government Code Section 51179, a local agency shall not decrease the level of fire
hazard severity zone as identified by the State Fire Marshal for any area within its jurisdiction.
This ensures that fire hazard designations remain consistent with CALFIRE’s scientifically
determined hazard assessments.

Residents and property owners are encouraged to review the map and understand their property’s
designation.

Click the image below to view the maps via Google earth: