With temperatures soaring this week and firefighters on alert, it’s crucial to know if your home is at risk.
Fire Hazard Severity Zones are areas within California identified by CAL FIRE to have significant threats of a wildfire.
The zones are divided into three levels in the state responsibility areas, which CAL FIRE is responsible for: Moderate, High, and Very High.
Major destructive fires in California in the 1980s pushed state lawmakers to classify the severity of fire hazard zones. According to CAL FIRE, this required classification helps create strategies to reduce wildfire risks.
On CAL FIRE’s website, you can find your home's zone using the Fire Hazard Severity Zone Viewer. All you have to do is type in your address.
The colors classify the severity. Red is Very High, orange is High, and yellow shows moderate severity. The viewer also shows what agency is responsible for protecting the area and includes contact information.
The severity zones are given a score based on conditions like fire history, terrain, the presence of existing and potential fuel, and typical weather in the area.
