The County of San Bernardino and Cal Fire have released new information regarding our area’s fire risk as part of a new, interactive map and they are asking you for your feedback.
The previous Fire Hazard Severity Zone map was last updated in 2011 and identified only very high fire hazard zones in local responsibility areas. The new map includes all three fire hazard risk levels, helping residents gain a clearer understanding of wildfire threats in their communities.
The list focuses on unincorporated areas of California, so municipalities like Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms are not represented, though significant areas of the Morongo Basin are included. The majority of our community included in the fire hazard severity zone map are listed in the as “moderate” risks, though less populated and more mountainous areas north of Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley are listed as “high” risk. Though no part of our community is listed as “very high” risk, wooded and mountain areas to the northeast of the Morongo Basin, near Big Bear, are listed in the most severe category.
Fire Hazard Severity Zone ratings are based on a range of factors, such as the likelihood of fire ignition, potential fire behavior under extreme weather, historical fire incidents, types of flammable vegetation, terrain features like hills and canyons, proximity to wildlands, and anticipated weather patterns over the next 50 years. In addition, the ratings account for flame and ember intrusion from nearby wildlands and flammable vegetation within urban areas, offering a more localized evaluation of wildfire risk.
The public comment period for the new Fire Hazard Severity Zone map ends on April 30. The county will hold public hearings and ordinance readings before the formal adoption of the Fire Hazard Severity Zone map by the Board of Supervisors on June 10.
To learn more about the Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map and submit public comment, visit www.sbcfire.org/fire-hazard-severity-zone-map.
