Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and Fire Severity Zones

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Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI)

Much of Southern Marin Fire Protection District exists in areas prone to periodic wildfires. Residents and businesses in the WUI - Wildland/Urban Interface - are subject to additional requirements and restrictions that help protect the community at large from conflagrations, and to reduce the impacts of wildfires that do occur.

Many resources are available to assist homeowners, residents, and businesses prepare for wildfires. Southern Marin Fire Protection District is a founding member of FIRESafe MARIN, our local Fire Safe Council and an excellent source of information on creating defensible space and protecting your family and property from wildfire.

WUI Parcel Map Search

MarinMap Map Viewer application allows for all to search a property address and/or assessor's parcel number to find out information about the parcel, including the fire jurisdiction and WUI information.

Instructions for MarinMaps parcel searches:

Visit marinmap.org and select the applications tab in the top browser. Then select "Map Viewer"
In the application, choose to search a property by using "Search by Property ID" or "Search by Address"
Start typing the address or property ID. MarinMap will then display a dropdown menu of the addresses or parcels that match your request. Select the address or parcel from the dropdown menu.
On the left side, use the scroll bar to read through the information provided to find details about the address or parcel selected.

WUI Parcels Documents

WUI Resale Look Up Tool (AB38)

The County of Marin has provided a great tool to be utilized by residents to determine if your property or parcel requires a resale fire inspection as required by AB38. Use the AB38 Lookup Tool link to access the County webpage.

If the property is within the SRA (State Responsibility Area), an AB-38 inspection is required in both High and Very High FHSZ. If the property is within the LRA (Local Responsibility Area), an AB-38 inspection is required in the Very High FHSZ. Please use the lookup tool to determine which zone your home is in and if your property is subject to AB-38 inspection. Vacant parcels can only be searched by parcel number.

What Does It Mean If My Property Is In A State Designated "Severity Zone"?

The designation of a Moderate, High, or Very High Severity Zone indicates that enhanced building requirements and re-sale inspections may be required for your parcel. The Southern Marin Fire District encourages all residents to visit the Cal Fire Fire severity Zone informational page. This page has great videos that explain the history of the severity zones in detail and the legislation supporting them in California.

Is The Fire Severity Zone Map a Structure Loss Model For My Neighborhood?

No. The Fire Severity Zones were designed to assist local governments and agencies to better implement measures to slow the spread of wildfire. Watch Chapter 5 of the Cal Fire video on What Are Severity Zones? to learn more.

CAL Fire's Fire Severity Zones

California’s seasonally dry Mediterranean climate lends itself to wildfires, and in an effort to better prepare, CAL FIRE is required to classify the severity of fire hazard in areas of California.

The State Fire Marshal is mandated to classify lands within State Responsibility Areas into Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). Fire Hazard Severity Zones fall into one of the following classifications:

Moderate
High
Very High

The California laws that require Fire Hazard Severity Zones include California Public Resources Code 4201-4204, California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1280 and California Government Code 51175-89.

Fire Hazard Severity Zones viewer in the State Responsibility Area Effective April 1, 2024

Please visit CalFire's website to enter your address to locate your property on a map showing Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Due to the nature of this content, some users who require Assistive Technology may experience accessibility issues. If you experience any problems while trying to access this content, please call the hotline at (916)633-7655, or e-mail: FHSZinformation@fire.ca.gov