New Fire Safety Maps Change Home Construction Requirements

The City of Sonoma, in partnership with the Sonoma Valley Fire District (SVFD) and the County of Sonoma, has released updated Fire Hazard Severity Maps (FHSZ) for Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) following CalFire’s February 24, 2025, statewide update. These maps use the latest climate data, fire history, topography, and wildfire modeling to classify areas as Very High, High, or Moderate Fire Hazard Zones.

Local governments must adopt these designations within 120 days but cannot downgrade any areas identified by CalFire. However, based on community input and local risk assessments, jurisdictions may upgrade hazard levels if justified.

The City of Sonoma and Sonoma Valley Fire District have reviewed CalFire’s draft map and created a local version for adoption. While the city cannot downgrade the severity zones identified by CalFire, jurisdictions, and agencies can upgrade severity classifications based on local conditions and risk assessments.

With the adoption of the new Sonoma County Fire Safety Maps, the Sonoma City Council also incorporated a number of changes in the regulations home construction, parcel design and materials. The city has now officially designated fire risk “zones” and depending upon the zone, new projects will have to conform to the new regulations.

The Fire District is offering free fire safety evaluations for home owners; these are not inspections, rather they are an opportunity to get fire department recommendations about how to increase the safety of homes, and creating a defensible space.

The new Fire Maps will most likely be reflected in home owner insurance rates, which have been rising steadily. Some insurance companies have stopped writing new policies altogether and rates overall have increased.

The Red zone in the map designates the highest fire hazard, Orange less so, and Yellow low risk. White areas are not within a fore hazard zone.