California Expands High-Risk Fire Zones Ahead of Wildfire Season, Impacting Thousands

Ahead of the wildfire season in California, fire officials are expanding the boundaries of high-severity fire zones as a precautionary measure.

Thousands of residents in Los Angeles received brush-clearance notices for the first time after CAL FIRE widened high-severity fire zones following the destructive Palisades and Altadena fires, according to an ABC7 report. The expanded boundaries bring more neighborhoods under strict safety rules.

The notices have come as a surprise to some homeowners, as they are now expected to maintain safety measures around their properties.

According to ABC7, the updated fire-risk areas include several blocks that were never previously required to follow brush-management rules. The expansion includes areas north of Ventura Boulevard.

Citing Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. The report said that Chris Thyfault added an additional 15,000 to 20,000 properties to the new maps.

Homeowners in the designated areas must maintain grass and brush under three inches, and trees must be trimmed and maintained.

While trees need not be removed, they should not touch any structure, be pulled away from roof lines, and should be at a distance of at least 10 feet from the chimney.

Inspections at the newly specified high-severity fire-risk zones will begin May 1, 2026, according to the report.

CAL FIRE develops its Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps using a science-based and field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on some factors that influence the possibility and fire behavior.

Some of the factors considered for the maps include fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), predicted flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and normal fire weather for the region.

These maps assess an area’s fire hazard and not the risk, according to CAL FIRE.

Residents in the high-severity fire zones are expected to create defensible space around their homes to minimize the risk of fire spreading to more areas.

Defensible space is the buffer zone between a property and the surrounding wildland area. The space is critical to slow the pace or entirely stop the spread of wildfires and protect homes from heat, embers, and flames, according to CAL FIRE.

Defensible space also gives firefighters a safer area to defend a property.

The expanded fire-risk zones come at a time when California faces an increasing risk of wildfires this year.

The state has experienced 938 wildfires that burned more than 11,000 acres so far this year. Although none of these incidents resulted in any fatalities, the fires destroyed seven structures.

Unusually warm temperatures across California, including a rare heat wave in March, along with a rapidly diminishing snowpack, have been sparking early wildfire concerns this year.