🛑 Stop The CA Fire Zone Guesswork

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnggC3bYdE

🗺️ CA Fire Zone vs. Local Maps

The video above highlights why determining a home's fire zone is not something anyone should guess at: California does not use just one fire map. As you can see when overlaying the official CAL FIRE State Map with a local municipality map—like the City of San Diego Map—the high-risk boundaries look completely different. While the state map focuses primarily on wildland territories, local cities map out their own high-risk zones based on urban canyons and local neighborhood hazards.

While CAL FIRE maps out three distinct tiers of risk, the City of San Diego simplifies things by designating Very High fire zones only. 

CalFire Zones

Moderate

High

Very High

City of San Diego Zones

Moderate

High

Very High

🛑 Stop the Guesswork

Using the City of San Diego as the example, their local map only designates "Very High" zones. This means your home could be a completely clear "No" on the state CAL FIRE map, but still be flagged as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by the city.

If you want to check a property's status, you can look up the exact address on the interactive CAL FIRE Zone Map, and then check the address again on the local City of San Diego Fire Zone Map. Typing the address into both maps eliminates the guesswork.

A third-party Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report is standard practice and typically required in almost every California real estate transaction to cover all environmental hazards. My personal preference is to use SnapNHD because its clear snapshot summary does an incredible job of pulling out those tricky, localized details. Instead of leaving us to guess, it flags whether a property is caught in a state or a local municipality zone, while also identifying any specific local vegetation ordinances active in that neighborhood.

📑 Wildfire Disclosures & AB38

Knowing whether the Fire Hardening and Defensible Space Disclosure (Form FHDS) is legally required boils down to a few criteria. The form, which is actively under revision, is currently divided into two main parts. Here is how you know if they apply to your property:

FHDS §1A applies if ALL are true:

Residential property

1–4 dwelling units

Seller is required to complete TDS or MHTDS

Property is in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone

Improvements constructed before January 1, 2010

FHDS §1B applies if ALL are true:

Residential property

1–4 dwelling units

Seller is required to complete TDS or MHTDS

Property is located in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone

Note: There is NO year-built requirement for §1B

TDS - Real Estate Transfer Disclosures Statement

MHTDS - Manufactured Home and Mobilehome Transfer Disclosure Statement

🏡 What Types of Properties Qualify

- Single-Family Residence

- Condo / Townhome

- Duplex / Triplex / Fourplex

- Manufactured home on owned land (433A recorded)

- Manufactured home on owned land (no 433A)

- Manufactured home on leased land (park)

- Mobile home on leased land (park)

- Mobile home on owned land (legally converted) 

💡 Moving Forward: No Guesswork, Just Answers

If you have a client planning on listing or purchasing a home and you would like any resources to help them navigate these rules, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I am always happy to share what I use, clear up the confusion around these mapping changes, and help ensure your clients are perfectly prepared for a smooth and successful transaction.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for general educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as real estate, legal, or tax advice. Information shared is based in part on guidance and materials from C.A.R. Legal. Consult your broker, legal counsel, or other appropriate professionals regarding your specific situation.

CHRISTINE KUENEKE

Transaction Coordinator - DRE 01809365

Call or Text: 760-613-1626

ck@ckpremiertcservices.com