New Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps

California’s high-fire-zone rezoning has evolved for years, but recent legislative changes have accelerated the impact on homeowners and landowners. With AB 3074 (2020) and SB 63 (2021), the state committed to strengthen wildfire-resilience standards. These laws set the foundation for the 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps. These are the most comprehensive wildfire-risk maps ever released.

For the first time, the 2025 maps include “moderate” and “high” hazard zones within Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), which were previously under the The new 2025 FHSZ map Dark red is very high, dark yellow is high, and pale yellow is moderate-severity zoning.

exclusive jurisdiction of counties and cities. This expansion means more parcels are now subject to wildfire-risk designations that influence development, insurance, entitlements, and property values. Understanding the Rezoning Shift.

Rezoning in high-fire zones isn’t just a mapping update, it’s a statewide reset of land-use expectations. Local governments must revise zoning ordinances to align with the new state maps. More parcels will require enhanced building standards, fire-resistant materials, and defensible-space compliance.

Rural, hillside, and outer-suburban areas may face additional mitigation requirements. It’s noteworthy that insurance carriers are increasingly referencing FHSZ maps when determining coverage and premiums. This shift is reshaping how both residential and land properties are evaluated, purchased, financed, and marketed across California. If you’re curious about your property’s fire-zone designation, visit myhazards.caloes.ca.gov and enter your address to see the new 2025 FHSZ map.

Redwood Estates Post Office A Hidden Gem Kathy McKinney The Redwood Estates Post Office is a hidden gem in the mountains. Just a half-mile off Highway 17 in “downtown” Redwood Estates, you won’t find a crowd here, not even during the busiest mailing months of the year. Postmaster Amy Yang is always helpful, friendly, and efficient.

Have you experienced mail theft from your residential mailbox? You can rent a P.O. box for $94 for six months, or $188 for a year. Longer rentals are available. For P.O. box holders, UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and OnTrac parcels are accepted at the post office for safe pick-up during business hours. The P.O. box lobby is always open, including Saturdays and Sundays.

The Redwood Estates Post Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at 21432 Broadway Road, across from Pizza Vittoria and next to the Redwood Estates Store.