The City of Goleta and Santa Barbara County Fire Department have received Fire Hazard Severity Zone classifications as result of California Senate Bill 63 (Stern, 2021). This Bill introduced new legislative requirements mandating the adoption of all three Fire Hazard Severity Zone classifications—Moderate, High, and Very High—within Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs). Prior to this legislation, only Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones were required for adoption in LRAs. In response to this change, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL FIRE) developed updated Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps that utilize the same modeling data as the State Responsibility Area maps.

These maps (released March 2025) now classify areas within LRAs as Moderate, High, or Very High fire hazard. The State’s new LRA maps are updated based on 2km grids of climate data over the last two decades, with revisions to fire intensity modeling that consider the most extreme fire weather at a given location (temperature, humidity, and wind speed). These classifications are determined using consistent statewide criteria and are based on factors such as fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and areas where winds significantly contribute to wildfire spread.  

The Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps reflect hazard rather than risk. Hazards are based on physical factors such as fuel, topography, and climate, along with expected fire behavior over a 30-50 year period. The maps do not consider mitigation measures like defensible space, community fuel reduction efforts, or home hardening.

The LRA map developed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL FIRE) is available on the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.