California has unveiled revised maps that highlight over 2.3 million acres of land as being at “high” or “very high” risk for wildfires, a response fueled by more severe wildfire conditions and new scientific insights. These updates follow a series of catastrophic fires in Los Angeles County and come after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to address the state’s wildfire threats. It’s worth noting that the last comprehensive maps were made available between 2007 and 2011.

In the areas identified under these categories, local fire departments are responsible for implementing fire safety protocols. The regions assigned “high” or “very high” classifications face the strictest state regulations concerning the construction of wildfire-resistant buildings. The increased fire hazards are often attributed to climate change impacts, including extended drought periods and an elongated wildfire season, which have necessitated these mapping updates.

Governor Newsom emphasized the urgent need for adaptation in his announcement, stating, “We are living in a new reality of extremes… Mother Nature is changing the way we live and we must continue adapting to those changes.” He underscored that California’s resilience mandates continual updates to safety standards in regions most susceptible to wildfires.

The previous maps labeled around 800,000 acres as “very high” hazard in 2007, the only classification available at the time. In contrast, the newly released maps now classify approximately 1.16 million acres as “high,” along with an additional 247,000 acres marked as “very high.” Officials from the Fire Marshal’s office noted that they cannot yet provide a percentage of the total land impacted until local jurisdictions finalize and implement these maps.

The maps released on Monday cover only the inland Northern California counties including Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba. The remaining maps are expected to follow over the next several weeks.

In certain regions, the reclassification of acreage deemed “very high” has been significant. Lake County, for instance, showed a dramatic increase from five acres in the previous assessment to roughly 10,881 acres now. Similarly, Yreka’s hazardous land jumped from 723 acres to 2,613 acres, with Chico rising to nearly 3,000 acres from just 117 acres previously. Grass Valley also saw its high-hazard area double, while Clearlake’s increased nearly threefold. Conversely, some areas like Placerville and Redding experienced a reduction in their high-risk land.

While the maps for local fire hazards had not been updated in over ten years, the hazard maps for the approximately 31 million acres managed by Cal Fire were refreshed last year. In 2021, state legislation required local areas to adopt the state’s three hazard classifications: very high, high, and moderate, replacing the previous framework that only mandated the highest category.

The state plans to inform 404 cities and counties about the changes on a rolling schedule. Designations for the North Coast and Bay Area will be unveiled on February 24, while the Central Valley and Central Coast maps are set for March 10. Southern and Eastern California areas will receive updates on March 24. Once these new maps are released, local governments will have a four-month window to adjust to the new hazard ratings.

Additionally, the governor’s order tasked the Board of Forestry with establishing regulations for a five-foot ember-resistant zone around structures in the densest fire areas. This precaution aims to reduce the likelihood of embers igniting homes that are situated far from existing fire fronts. Ongoing development of state regulations for “Zone 0” will create guidelines applicable to both new and existing structures within these high-risk zones, with immediate enforcement for new builds and a phased implementation for older homes over three years.

This year has already seen a troubling surge in wildfire activity, with 359 incidents reported and nearly 58,000 acres burned, starkly contrasting with the five-year average of 175 fires and just 500 acres affected. The fires have also taken a tragic toll, with 29 fatalities recorded since January. Officials have voiced concerns about future fire seasons, with Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler warning, “This is what 2025 is going to look like, unfortunately. I need everybody to be prepared.”