CalFire released a new map this week, expanding hazardous fire zones in Northern California. It’s part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order after the Los Angeles fires.

Updated for the first time since 2007, CalFire’s new fire hazard severity zone map offers a resource in order to adapt to future extreme fire events.

“They incorporate different factors that include weather data, topography, fire history and all of that gives us a long term view of that area’s overall fire hazard,” said Chief Daniel Berlant, the California State Marshal.

Berlant says updating the map is now possible due to new technology. The new map shows many counties growing in ‘very high’ hazard acreage. In 2011, Lake County only had five acres considered ‘very high’ hazard. In 2025, it jumped to 10,881 acres.

“We believe these maps not only are more accurate based on new science and data, but also are depicting more accurately the conditions we have been experiencing for several years now,” said Berlant.

As part of the governor’s executive order, homes built in the areas deemed ‘very high’ fire hazard would be required to adhere to wildfire resilient building codes. CalFire emphasizes these codes are mainly for new builds, but existing homeowners should create defensible space.

“Having 100 feet of defensible space doesn’t mean you’re removing all the trees and removing all your plants. It means you’re spacing them. You’re removing the dead or dying vegetation,” said Berlant.

CalFire emphasizes this map is different from risk maps. Those are the maps home insurance companies use to write policies. CalFire says the new hazard map should not tie into insurance.

“They have their own databases that they use that establish eligibility and pricing for insurance coverage,” said Joel Laucher with United Policyholders.

United Policyholders is a nonprofit aimed at helping homeowners with insurance policy issues. The organization agrees with CalFire and says this new hazard map will help guide homeowners making their homes more fire resilient as insurance companies calculate risk.

“Insurers are less likely to write a higher risk home and are likely to charge less premium for a home that has done the mitigations,” said Laucher.

CalFire has only released the Northern California portion of the maps. Over the next two months, CalFire will release the rest of the state by regions and the hazard map is expected to be updated every five years.