The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has extended the time for the Public to submit comments regarding proposed changes to Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping in the State Response Area (SRA).
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection held a Public Hearing in Santa Cruz County, regarding proposed changes to Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping in the State Response Area (SRA) on January 10, 2023, at the Ben Lomond Training Center, 13575 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz CA 95060. Originally, the Public Comment time set for this was : December 16, 2022 – February 3, 2023. The Office of the State Fire Marshal has added an additional 60-day Public Comment period, extending the written comment availability through April 4, 2023. Members may comment via their website, email, or by writing to the following addresses:
Office of the State Fire Marshal
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
P.O. Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460
Attn: Scott Witt, Deputy Chief
Or
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Office of the State Fire Marshal
C/O: Scott Witt
California Natural Resources Building
715 P Street, 9th floor
Sacramento, CA 95818
See Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Action (PDF) for comment guidelines and their Official Press Release for more information on this process.
Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 4204 requires the State Fire Marshal (SFM) to periodically review and revise the Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) designations and ratings in the State Responsibility Area (SRA). If the review results in revisions to the designations or ratings, the OSFM is required to transmit the proposed regulations to each impacted county, and hold a Public Hearing, compliant with PRC Section 4203.
The State Fire Marshal is now providing notice to adopt proposed regulations pursuant to PRC Sections 4202-4204, relating to the classifying of lands in the State Responsibility Area (SRA) into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZs).
More information about Fire Hazard Severity Zones, the upcoming Public Hearing and other information can be found on the Office of the State Fire Marshal FHSZ Website and the CA Department of Insurance Q&A (PDF).
