Title
Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board:
1) Approve the Introduction (First Reading) of Ordinance 5231 to amend Chapter 8.08 of the El Dorado County Code of Ordinances entitled Fire Prevention to adopt the 2025 Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map developed and issued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Office of the State Fire Marshal, as required by California Government Code section 51179; and
2) Waive full reading of the Ordinance, read by title only, and continue this matter to June 24, 2025, for Final Passage (Second Reading).
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On April 23, 1985 (Agenda Item No. 33), the Board adopted Ordinance 3528 which approved amendments to various sections of the El Dorado County Code (now Chapter 8.08, Fire Prevention) to coincide with state law under PRC 4423 related to hazard removal and burning restrictions.
Shortly after the Board’s adoption of the County’s Vegetation Management and Defensible Space Ordinance 5101 (Legistar file 19-0630 V2) and the addition of Chapter 8.09, Vegetation Management on April 30, 2019, the Board adopted Ordinance 5102 (Legistar file 19-0754 V2) on June 4, 2019 to amend Ordinance 3528 by repealing and reserving Section 8.08.020 - Hazard Removal Required of Chapter 8.08 as the language requiring the maintenance of a defensible fire break around structures and required clearing of debris from rooftops was superseded upon the adoption of Ordinance 5101.
On February 6, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0202), the Board heard Ordinance 5195 to amend Chapter 8.08 of the El Dorado County Code of Ordinances entitled Fire Prevention to adopt the 2007 State Responsibility Area (SRA) Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) Map developed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), as required by California Government Code section 51179, in order to apply for designation as a Fire Risk Reduction Community and continued the matter to February 27, 2024 for Final Passage (Second Reading). On February 27, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0202 V2), the Board adopted Ordinance 5195 with an effective date of March 28, 2024.
Following the initial reading of Ordinance 5195, the County was notified by the CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshall that the Office of Administrative Law approved revisions under the latest 2023 SRA FHSZ Map with these updated zones and an effective date of April 1, 2024. In accordance with California Government Code section 51179, local agencies are required to adopt and submit an ordinance adopting the FHSZ Map to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within 30 days of adoption. On April 30, 2024, the Board heard Ordinance 5201 to amend Chapter 8.08, Fire Prevention, again to amend Section 8.08.100 - Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map, to reflect the updated 2023 FHSZ Map and continued the matter to May 21, 2024 for Final Passage (Second Reading). On May 21, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0664), the Board adopted Ordinance 5201 with an effective date of June 20, 2024.
As specified in Government Code section 51178, the State Fire Marshal is mandated to classify lands within the State Responsibility Areas throughout California into FHSZ and these zones are categorized as either Moderate, High, or Very High. FHSZ maps are updated periodically to accurately reflect areas susceptible to wildfire events based on local climate data, burn probability, and expected fire behavior under extreme fuel and weather conditions through fire assessment modeling. This, among other factors such as vegetation/fuel, topography, climate, crown fire potential, ember production and movement, and fire history, determines each zone’s hazard rating.
As part of implementing Government Code section 51178 above, CAL FIRE also classifies Fire Hazard Severity Zones for certain areas throughout the State identified as “Local Responsibility Areas (LRA).” Which are those areas where incorporation as a city or other criteria excludes these areas from the SRA. On February 10, 2025, as part of a multi-phased rollout of updates to these classifications, the CAL FIRE Office of State Fire Marshall issued the 2025 LRA FHZS Map (Attachment D), which includes both incorporated and certain unincorporated areas of El Dorado County. In previous iterations of the LRA FHSZ Maps, classifications only included Very High ratings; however, the latest 2025 LRA FHSZ Map now includes Moderate, High, and Very High. These areas have been updated to more accurately reflect the zones throughout the State, including El Dorado County, that are susceptible to wildfire based on a hazard mapping process that incorporates a combination of new science in local climate data and improved fire assessment modeling since the LRA FHSZ Maps were last updated in 2011.
The purpose of these maps, both for LRA and SRA, is to designate areas throughout the State where defensible space standards and wildland urban interface (WUI) building codes are required through the use of approved materials and construction methods to reduce exterior wildfire exposure on structures, identify areas subject to real estate transaction inspection requirements, inform and create property development standards critical for emergency response and evacuation such as road widths, water supply, and signage, and also for use by local agencies for future updates to General Plans and General Plan Safety Elements that address development standards.
It is important to note that the Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZ classifications evaluate the wildfire “hazard” and not “risk.” Consistent with the definition used by CAL FIRE, “Hazard” is based on the physical conditions in the area that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50-year time period and do not consider any mitigation measures that reduce wildfire risk such as defensible space, home hardening, other fuel reduction efforts, or recent wildfires. Conversely, “Risk” is based on the potential damage of a wildfire to the area under existing conditions, accounting for any modifications such as defensible space, home hardening, or fuel reduction projects. So, while FHSZ Maps can be used as a tool to assist agencies and communities with fire planning and mitigation, implementation of those efforts would not result in a change in designation of the FHSZ upon completion (i.e. a change from High to Moderate FHSZ upon completion of a fuel break surrounding a community).
In accordance with Government Code sections 51178 and 51179, local agencies are required to designate by ordinance the Moderate, High, and Very High FHSZs in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receipt of the map and transmit a copy of the adopted ordinance to the State Board of Forestry within 30 days of adoption. During this process, and as specified in Government Code section 51179(b), local agencies may increase the level of FHSZ designation, but may not decrease it.
Staff are recommending the Board approve amendments to Chapter 8.08, Fire Prevention, which includes updates to Section 8.08.100 to update the section title and specify the applicability as State Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map, and the addition of Section 8.08.200, which adds the Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Map, as identified by the Office of State Fire Marshal with no increases to the FHSZ levels. This proposed Ordinance addresses only certain areas within the unincorporated area of the County, and both the cities of Placerville and South Lake Tahoe are responsible for adopting an ordinance for their respective areas. With the Board’s approval, this matter will be continued to June 24,2025 for Final Passage (Second Reading). An interactive viewer of the Fire Hazard Severity Zone map is available at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6a9cb66bb1824cd98756812af41292a0
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to adopt the proposed revisions to Chapter 8.08 under this Ordinance or direct staff to make further changes; however, the County is still required to adopt the 2025 LRA FHSZ Map in accordance with California Government Code section 51179. Not adopting this Ordinance would also preclude the County from applying for future designation under the Board of Forestry’s Fire Risk Reduction Community List. The County’s placement on the Fire Risk Reduction Community List provides for prioritization for local assistance grant opportunities through CAL FIRE for Wildfire Prevention Grants and also provides for potential discounts for residents within the unincorporated areas of the County as placement on this list is one of the mandatory factors to be eligible for a discount on their homeowner’s insurance premiums.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
See Discussion/Background above.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the proposed Ordinance.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost Associated with the adoption of this proposed Ordinance.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) If approved, continue this matter to the Board of Supervisors regular meeting scheduled on June 24, 2025, for Final Passage (Second Reading).
2) Publish the Summary Ordinance in the local newspaper no less than 5 days prior to Final Passage.
3) Following Board approval, publish the Ordinance within 15 days after its passage in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the County.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Sue Hennike, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer