CC SR 20190917 E - High Fire HazardRANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 09/17/2019
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection’s designation of Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file the report
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Megan Barnes, Senior Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. April 11, 2019 Sacramento Bee article (page A-1)
B. Rancho Palos Verdes VHFHSZ map (page B-1)
C. May 20, 2008 VHFHSZ staff report (page C-1)
D. August 20, 2019 New York Times article (page D-1)
E. Department of Insurance Data Fact Sheet (page E-1)
F. Department of Insurance Number of New, Renewed, and Non-Renewed
Homeowners' Policies (page F-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
In April 2019, a series of news stories on wildfire preparedness in California highlighted Rancho
Palos Verdes as the most populated city in the state with 90 percent or more of residents living
in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) (see Attachment A). Around the same
time, the City heard anecdotal reports of residents losing their fire insurance or seeing their
premiums increase, because of the City’s fire vulnerability. The City Council requested a report
on the designation of VHFSHZs.
History of VHFHSZs
In the wake of the October 1991 Oakland hills fire, which killed 25 people, destroyed more than
3,000 structures and caused more than $2 billion in damages, state lawmakers passed
legislation requiring California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), in
cooperation with local fire authorities, to identify VHFSHZs in areas where local governments
have financial responsibility for wildland fire protection, known as Local Responsibility Areas.
VHFHSZs establish the presence of a very high fire hazard so that public officials are able to
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identify required measures that will mitigate the rate of spread and reduce the potential intensity
of uncontrolled fires that threaten to destroy resources, life, or property.
Cal Fire determines VHFHSZs based on factors that influence fire likelihood and fire behavior,
such as fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), flame length, blowing
embers, terrain, and typical weather for the area. Cal Fire released its most recent VHFHSZ
maps in 2008 and is in the process of updating them. According to Cal Fire, the new maps are
expected to be completed sometime in 2021. Staff has requested information on what will be
different about the mapping process this time, including for our area.
RPV’s VHFHSZ
With input from local Los Angeles County Fire Department stations, in 2008, Cal Fire
determined almost all of the City falls within a VHFHSZ, excluding a small portion located east
of Western Avenue (Attachment B). The City Council approved the City’s VHFHSZ map on May
20, 2008, ahead of new VHFHSZ-based fire prevention construction requirements that went into
effect in July of that year (Attachment C).
The City Council had previously requested a report on VHFHSZ mapping on the Peninsula in
2004, when residents reported having difficulty obtaining quotes for homeowners' insurance
because their properties were identified as being located in a fire hazard area. At the time, Staff
determined it did not appear that the VHFHSZ mapping was affecting homeowners' ability to
obtain fire insurance since insurance companies utilize information to identify fire risk, whereas
the VHFHSZ mapping identifies hazards.
The City has received anecdotal reports this year of residents losing their fire insurance, or
seeing their premiums increase due to the City’s vulnerability to fires.
Last month, The New York Times reported that fire-prone regions across the Western United
States are seeing complaints from homeowners whose insurance companies have refused to
renew their coverage in recent years of wildfires. The article cited data from the California
Department of Insurance showing that insurer-initiated homeowner policy non-renewals in State
Responsibility Areas grew by 6% from 2017 to 2018, with zip codes affected by the devastating
2015 and 2017 fires seeing a 10% increase in non-renewals (Attachment E). In Los Angeles
County, insurer-initiated homeowner policy non-renewals decreased by 1.4% from 2015 to
2018, though the number increased in 2017 and 2018 (Attachment F).
Staff has requested the same data from the Department of Insurance for the Peninsula’s zip
codes of 90275 and 90274 and will report back.
Finally, it should be noted that the VHFHSZ designation came up earlier this year in relation to
Senate Bill 50, legislation the City opposed that would exempt certain housing projects from
local height limitations, densities, parking requirements and design review standards. The most
recent version of the bill – which was held in committee -- would have created an exemption for
projects in VHFHSZs.
ALTERNATIVES:
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In addition to the Staff recommendations, the following alternative actions are available
for the City Council’s consideration:
1. Take other action as deemed appropriate by the City Council.
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Palos Verdes Dr
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Source:City of Rancho Palos Verdes &County of Los Angeles Fire Dept.
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CfTYOF
MEMORANDUM
RANCHO PALOS VERDES
TO:
FROM:
HONORABLE MAYOR &CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
JOEL ROJAS,~R OF PLANNING,BUILDING
AND CODE ENFer"'EMENT
DATE:May 20,2008
SUBJECT:ADOPTION OF FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONE MAPS
REVIEWED:CAROLYN LEHR,CITY MANAGER<q)~
Project Manager:Paul Christman,Building Offi~
RECOMMENDATION
1)ADOPT URGENCY ORDINANCE NO._U,AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO PALOS VERDES DESIGNATING VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY
ZONES,AMENDING THE 2007 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE,AMENDING TITLE 8 OF
THE RANCHO PALOS VERDES MUNICIPAL CODE AND DECLARING THE
URGENCY THEREOF;and,
2)INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NO._,AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO PALOS VERDES,DESIGNATING VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY
ZONES,AMENDING THE 2007 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE,AND AMENDING TITLE
8 OF THE RANCHO PALOS VERDES MUNICIPAL CODE.
BACKGROUND
On December 18,2007,the City Council adopted the new 2007 California Building
Code with an effective date of January 1,2008.Within the new Building Code is
chapter 7A which contains specific fire prevention construction requirements which
apply to new buildings located within a Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ).
The application of this chapter was delayed until July 1,2008 to allow the State
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)to review and update the
statewide Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping (which has been in effect since 1995)to
better identify VHFHSZ's using recently advanced fire hazard modeling techniques.
The State has recently completed its review and has updated the fire hazard mapping
for areas in the State where local governments have responsibility for wildland fire
protection.These areas,such as the City of Rancho Palos Verdes,are referred to by
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the State as the Local Responsibility Area or LRA.With the LRA mapping completed,
each local jurisdiction must now adopt their respective Fire Hazard Severity Map by July
1,2008.This is because the new fire prevention construction requirements adopted
with the new 2007 Building Code that are related to the new fire hazard maps go into
effect on that date.As a result,Staff is now presenting the City's Fire Hazard Severity
Map,as proposed by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE),to the
City Council for formal adoption.
DISCUSSION
The authority to identify and map VHFHSZ's is found in Government Code Sections
51175-51189 (attached).The purpose of this Government Code chapter is to classify
lands in accordance with whether a very'high fire hazard severity is present so that
public officials are able to identify measures that will mitigate the rate of fire spread,and
reduce the potential intensity of uncontrolled fires that threaten to destroy resources,
life,property,and to require that those measures be taken.
Based on the modeling techniques employed by CAL FIRE (attached),together with
local input from the local L.A.County Fire stations,the updated maps indicate that the
entire City of Rancho Palos Verdes,excluding the portion of the City located east of
Western Avenue (approximately 98 acres involving 322 single-family and 123 multi-
family units),is classified as a VHFHSZ.This represents no change to the pre-existing
designation mapped by the State for the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula.The Fire
Hazard Severity Zone maps (which divide the City into 3 tiles or sheets)are attached.
The attached ordinances adopt the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps that have
been prepared by CAL FIRE for the City.The updated maps are needed to implement
the new ignition resistant building standards contained in Chapter 7A (attached)of the
recently adopted building code.These new standards will apply to any new buildings in
VHFHSZ's for which an application for a building permit is submitted after July 1,2008.
Some of the new ignition resistant building standards include,but are not limited to:
*Tempered glass for windows
*Enclosed underfloor areas or ignition resistant materials for cantilevered projections
*Spark resistant attic and underfloor vent openings
*Roof gutter screens
In addition,pursuant to the State government code,properties located within a
VHFHSZ must maintain certain defensible space through specific fuel modification
(brush clearing)requirements.These fuel modification requirements are enforced
wholly by the L.A.County Fire Department.Furthermore,property owners located within
a VHFHSZ must disclose that their property is located within a VHFHSZ at the time of
sale.These requirements have been in place since the original State government code
dealing with VHFHSZ's was adopted in 1995.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Insurance Issue
The City Council may recall that back in 2004,at the request of Councilmember Long,Staff
looked into the issue of the VHFHSZ mapping on the Peninsula.The inquiry was prompted
by correspondence from some Rancho Palos Verdes residents who experienced difficulty
obtaining quotes for homeowners'insurance because their properties were identified as
being located in a fire hazard area.After looking into the issue,which included speaking to
realtors and insurance companies,Staff reported to the Council in 2004 that it did not
appear that the VHFHSZ mapping was affecting homeowners'ability to obtain fire
insurance since insurance companies utilize information to identify fire risk,whereas the
VHFHSZ mapping identifies hazards and not risk.This situation should still hold true as no
change to the City's VHFHSZ mapping will occur with adoption of the new maps.·Related
to this topic,attached is some information on a public educational campaign that is being
spearheaded by the State with regards to insurance and fire prevention.
Fire Department Representatives
A representative from the L.A.County Fire Department is scheduled to attend the May 20,
2008 City Council meeting to answer any questions about the VHFHSZ mapping.
CONCLUSION
Staff has received the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps for the City from the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).Staff is
recommending that the City Council adopt the attached urgency and non-urgency
ordinances to adopt the maps.The updated maps are needed to implement the new
ignition resistant building standards contained in the recently adopted building code
that go into effect on July 1,2008.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the maps will have no fiscal impact on the City's General Fund.
Attachments:
1.Proposed Urgency and Non-Urgency Ordinances
2.Proposed Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map (3 sheets)
3.Government Code Section 51175-51189
4.CAL FIRE fire hazard modeling information
5.California Building Code Chapter 7A
6.Insurance MOU
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ORDINANCE NO.U
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES DESIGNATING VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONES,AMENDING THE 2007 CALIFORNIA
FIRE CODE,AMENDING TITLE 8 OF THE RANCHO
PALOS VERDES MUNICIPAL CODE AND DECLARING
THE URGENCY THEREOF
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.Chapter 8 of Title 8 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code is
hereby amended by adding new Section 8.08.060 thereto to read as follows:
"Section 8.08.060.Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps.The City
Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby designates Very High Fire Hazard
Severity Zones,as recommended by the Director of the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection and the County of Los Angeles Fire Department,as
designated on the maps entitled Fire Hazard Severity Zone,which are on file in the
City's Planning,Building and Code Enforcement Department."
Section 2.The maps entitled Fire Hazard Severity Zone are hereby attached
to this Ordinance as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 3.CEQA Findings.The City Council hereby finds that it can be seen
with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption and implementation of this
Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment.The Ordinance does not
authorize construction and,in fact,imposes greater restrictions on certain development
in order to protect the public health,safety and general welfare.The Ordinance is
therefore exempt from the environmental review requirements of the California
Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15061 (b )(3)of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
R6876-0001\1056250v2.doc C-4
Section 4.Severability.If any section,subsection,subdivision,sentence,
clause,phrase,or portion of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or
place,is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court
of competent jurisdiction,such decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder of
this Ordinance.The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this
Ordinance,and each and every section,subsection,subdivision,sentence,clause,
phrase,or portion thereof,irrespective of the fact that anyone or more sections,
subsections,subdivisions,sentences,clauses,phrases,or portions thereof be declared
invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 5.Urgency Findings.The Director of the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection recently completed the preparation of the attached Maps
and submitted them for review by the City and the County of Los Angeles Fire
Department.The Fire Department and the City recently completed their review of the
Maps.With the mapping completed,the City is required by State law to adopt the Fire
Hazard Severity Maps by July 1,2008.This is because the new fire prevention
construction requirements adopted with the new 2007 Building Code,which are related
to the new fire hazard maps,go into effect on that date.To protect the public,health,
safety and welfare,it is imperative that the maps and the new building code provisions
become effective simultaneously and be in effect by July 1,2008.Accordingly,to meet
this deadline,it is necessary to adopt this urgency ordinance,which will become
effective immediately upon adoption.This ordinance is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public health,safety and welfare,declares the facts constituting the
urgency,and is passed by at least a four-fifths vote of the City Council.Accordingly,
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this measure is adopted immediately upon introduction pursuant to Government Code
Section 36934 and shall take effect immediately pursuant to Government Code Section
36937(b).
PASSED,APPROVED,AND ADOPTED,this __day of May,2008.
Douglas W.Stern
Mayor
ATTEST:
__________(SEAL)
Carla Morreale
City Clerk
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R6876-000 1\1 056250v2.doc
EXHIBIT A IMAPS
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ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES DESIGNATING VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONES,AMENDING THE 2007 CALIFORNIA
FIRE CODE,AND AMENDING TITLE 8 OF THE RANCHO
PALOS VERDES MUNICIPAL CODE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.Chapter 8 of Title 8 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code is
hereby amended by adding new Section 8.08.060 thereto to read as follows:
"Section 8.08.060.Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps.The City
Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby designates Very High Fire Hazard
Severity Zones,as recommended by the Director of the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection and the County of Los Angeles Fire Department,as
designated on the maps entitled Fire Hazard Severity Zone,which are on file in the
City's Planning,Building and Code Enforcement Department."
Section 2.The maps entitled Fire Hazard Severity Zone are hereby attached
to this Ordinance as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 3.CEQA Findings.The City Council hereby finds that it can be seen
with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption and implementation of this
Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment.The Ordinance does not
authorize construction and,in fact,imposes greater restrictions on certain development
in order to protect the public health,safety and general welfare.The Ordinance is
therefore exempt from the environmental review requirements of the California
Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3)of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
Section 4.Severability.If any section,subsection,subdivision,sentence,
clause,phrase,or portion of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or
R6876-0001\1056250vl.doc
C-8
place,is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court
of competent jurisdiction,such decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder of
this Ordinance.The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this
Ordinance,and each and every section,subsection,subdivision,sentence,clause,
phrase,or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that anyone or more sections,
subsections,subdivisions,sentences,clauses,phrases,or portions thereof be declared
invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 5.Effective Date.This Ordinance shall go into effect and be in full
force and effect at 12:01 a.m.on the thirty-first (31 st)day after its passage.
PASSED,APPROVED,AND ADOPTED,this __day of May,2008.
Douglas W.Stern
Mayor
ATTEST:
__________(SEAL)
Carla Morreale
City Clerk
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R6876-000 1\1 056250v 1.doe
EXHIBIT A IMAPS
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CALIFORNIA CODES
GOVERNMENT CODe
SECTION 51175-51189 l
51175.The Legislature hereby finds and declares as follows:
(a)Fires are extremely costly,not only to property owners and residents,but
also to local agencies.Fires PQse a serious threat to the preservation of the
public peace,health,or safety.Since fires ignore civil boundaries,it is
necessary that cities,counties,special districts,state agencies,and federal
agencies work together to bring raging fires under control.Preventive
measures are therefore needed to ensure the preservation of the public
peace,health,or safety.
(b)The prevention of fires is not a municipal affair,as that term is used in
Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution,but is instead,a matter
of statewide conoern.It is the intent of the Legislature that this chapter
apply to all local agencies,including,but not limited to,charter cities,charter
counties,and charter cities and counties.This subdivision shall not limit the
authority of a local agency to impose more restrictive fire and panic safety
requirements,as otherwise authorized by law.
(c)It is not the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to limit or
restrict the authority of a local agency to impose more restrictive fire and
panic safety requirements,as otherwise authorized by law.
51176.
The purpose of this chapter is to classify lands in the state in accordance with
whether a very high fire hazard is present so that public officials are able to
identify measures that will retard the rate of spread,and reduce the potential
intensity,of uncontrolled fires that threaten to destroy resources,life,or property,
and to require that those measures be taken.
51177.As used in this chapter:
(a)"Director"means the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.
(b)"Very high fire hazard severity zone"means an area designated by the
director pursuant to Section 51178 that is not a state responsibility area.
(c)"Local agency"means a city,county,city and county,or district responsible
for fire protection within a very high fire hazard severity zone.
(d)"Single specimen tree"means any live tree that stands alone in the
landscape so as to be clear of buildings,structures,combustible vegetation,
or other trees,and that does not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire
from the native growth to any occupied dwelling or structure.
(e)"State responsibility areas"means those areas identified pursuant to
Section 4102 of the Public Resources Code.
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....,.
51178.
(a)The director shall i~ntify areas in the state as very high fire hazard
severity zones basd'd on consistent statewide criteria and based on the
severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas.Very high
fire hazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading,slope,fire
weather,and other relevant factors.
(b)On or before January 1,1995,the director shall identify areas as very high
fire hazard severity zones in the Countie~of Alameda,Contra Costa,Los
Angeles,Marin,Napa,Orange,Riverside,San Bernardino,San Francisco,
San Mateo,Santa Barbara,Santa Clara,Solano,Sonoma,and Ventura.
This information shall be transmitted to all local agencies with identified
very high fire hazard severity zones within 30 days.
(c)On or before January 1,1996,the director shall identify areas as very high
fire hazard severity zones In all other counties.This information shall be
transmitted to all local agencies with Identified high fire hazard severity
zones within 30 days.
51178.5.
Within 30 days after receiving a transmittal from the director that identifies very
high fire hazard severity zones,a local agency shall make the information
available for public review.The information shall be presented in a format that is
understandable and accessible to the general public,including,but not limited to,
maps.
51179.
(a)A local agency shall designate,by ordinance,very high fire hazard
severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving
recommendations from the director pursuant to subdivisions (b)and (c)of
Section 51178.A local agency shall be exempt from this requirement if
ordinances of the local agency,adopted on or before December 31,1992,
impose standards that are equivalent to,or more restrictive than,the
standards imposed by this chapter.
(b)A local agency may,at its discretion,exclude from the requirements of
Section 51182 an area identified as a very high fire hazard severity zone
by the director within the jurisdiction of the local agency,following a finding
supported by substantial evidence in the record that the requirements of
Section 51182 are not necessary for effective fire protection within the
area.
(c)A local agency may,at its discretion,include areas within the jurisdiction
of the local agency,not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones
by the director,as very high fire hazard severity zones following a finding
supported by substantial evidence in the record that the requirements of
Section 51182 are necessary for effective fire protection within the area.
(d)Changes made by a local agency to the recommendations made by the
director shall be final and shall not be rebuttable by the director.
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,"..........
(e)The State Fire Marshal shall prepare and adopt a model ordinance that
provides for the eSfblishment of very high fire hazard severity zones.
(f)Any ordinance adopted by a local agency pursuant to this section that
substantially conforms to the model ordinance of the State Fire Marshal
shall be presumed to be in compliance with the requirements of this
section.
(g)A local agency shall post a notice at the office of the county recorder,
county assessor,and county planning agency identifying the location of
the map provided by the director pursuant to Section 51178.If the agency
amends the map,pursuant to 'subdlvision (b)or (c)of this section,the
notice shall instead identify the location of the amended map.
51180.
For the purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810)of Title 1,
vegetation removal or management,undertaken in whole or in part,for fire
prevention or suppression purposes shall not be deemed to alter the natural
condition of public property.This section shall apply only to natural conditions of
pUblic property and shall not limit any liability or immunity that may otherwise
exist pursuant to this chapter.
51181.
The director shall periodically review the areas in the state identified as very high
fire hazard severity zones pursuant to this chapter,and as necessary,shall make
recommendations relative to very high fire hazard severity zones.This review
shall coincide with the review of state responsibility area lands every five years
and,when possible,fall within the time frames for each county's general plan
update.Any revision of areas included in a very high fire hazard severity zone
shall be made in accordance with Sections 51178 and 51179.
51182.
(a)A person who owns,leases,controls,operates,or maintains any occupied
dwelling or occupied structure in,upon,or adjoining any mountainous area,
forest-covered land,brush-covered land,grass-covered land,or any land
that is covered with flammable material,which area or land is within a very
high fire hazard severity zone designated by the local agency pursuant to
Section 51179,shall at all times do all of the following:
(1)Maintain around and adjacent to the occupied dwelling or occupied
structure a firebreak made by removing and clearing away,for a
distance of not less than 30 feet on each side thereof or to the
property line,whichever is nearer,all flammable vegetation or other
combustible growth.This paragraph does not apply to single
specimens of trees or other vegetation that is well-pruned and
maintained so as to effectively manage fuels and not form a means of
rapidly transmitting fire from other nearby vegetation to any dwelling
or structure.
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(2)Maintain around and adjacent to the occupied dwelling or occupied
structure additlPnal fire protection or firebreaks made by removing all
brush,f1amma5le vegetation,or combustible growth that is located
within 100 feet from the occupied dwelling or occupied structure or to
the property line,or at a greater distance if required by state law,or
local ordinance,rule,or regulation.This section does not prevent an
insurance company that insures an occupied dwelling or occupied
structure from requiring the owner of the dwelling or structure to
maintain a firebreak of more than 100 feet around the dwelling or
structure if a hazardous condition warrants such a firebreak of a
greater distance.Grass and other vegetation located more than 30
feet from the dwelling or structure and less than 18 inches in height
above the ground may be maintained where necessary to stabilize
the soil and prevent erosion.This paragraph does not apply to single
specimens of trees or other vegetation that is well-pruned and
maintained so as to effectively manage fuels and not form a means of
rapidly transmitting fire from other nearby vegetation to a dwelling or
structure.
(3)Remove that portion of any tree that extends within 10 feet of the
outlet of any chimney or stovepipe.
(4)Maintain any tree adjacent to or overhanging any building free of
dead or dying wood.
(5)Maintain the roof of any structure free of leaves,needles,or other
dead vegetative growth.
(6)prior to constructing a new dwelling or structure that will be occupied
or rebuilding an occupied dwelling or occupied structure damaged by
a fire in that zone,the construction or rebuilding of which requires a
building permit,the owner shall obtain a certification from the local
building official that the dwelling or structure,as proposed to be built,
complies with all applicable state and local building standards,
including those described in subdivision (b)of Section 51189,and
shall provide a copy of the certification,upon request,to the insurer
providing course of construction insurance coverage for the building
or structure.Upon completion of the construction or rebuilding,the
owner shall obtain from the local building official,a copy of the final
inspection report that demonstrates that the dwelling.or structure was
constructed in compliance with all applicable state and local building
standards,including those described in subdivision (b)of Section
51189,and shall provide a copy of the report,upon request,to the
property insurance carrier that insures the dwelling or structure.
(b)A person is not required under this section to maintain any clearing on any
land if that person does not have the legal right to maintain the clearing,nor
is any person required to enter upon or to damage property that is owned by
any other person without the consent of the owner of the property.
C-17
51183..
(a)The local agency rn\y exempt from the standards set forth in Section
51182 structures with exteriors constructed entirely of nonflammable
materials,or conditioned upon the contents and composition of the
structure,and may vary the requirements respecting the removing or
clearing away of flammable vegetation or other combustible growth with
respect to the area surrounding the structures.In no case shall this
subdivision be deemed to authorize a local agency to vary any
requirement that Is a building standard subject to Section 18930 of the
Health and Safety Code,except as otherwise authorized by law.
(b)No exemption or variance shall apply unless and until-the occupant
thereof.or if there be no occupant,then the owner thereof,files with the
local agency a written consent to the inspection of the interior and
contents of the structure to ascertain whether the provisions of Section
51182 are complied with at all times.
51183.5.
(a)A transferor of real property that is located within a very high fire hazard
severity zone,designated pursuant to this chapter,shall disclose to any
prospective transferee the fact that the property is located within a very high
fire hazard severity zone,and Is SUbject to the requirements of Section
51182.
(b)Disclosure is required pursuant to this section only when one of the following
conditions is met:
(1)The transferor,or the transferor's agent,has actual knowledge that
the property is within a very high fire hazard severity zone.
(2)A map that includes the property has been provided to the local
agency pursuant to Section 51178,and a notice is posted at the
offices of the county recorder,county assessor,and county planning
agency that identifies the location of the map and any information
regarding changes to the map received by the local agency.
(c)In all transactions that are subjectto Section 1103 of the Civil Code,the
disclosure required by subdivision (a)of this section shall be provided by
either of the following means:
(1)The Local Option Real Estate Disclosure Statement as provided in
Section 11 02.6a of the Civil Code.
(2)The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement as provided in Section
1103.2 of the Civil Code.
(d)If the map or accompanying information is not of sufficient accuracy or scale
that a reasonable person can determine if the subject real property is
included in a very high fire hazard zone,the transferor shall mark "Yes"on
the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement.The transferor may mark "No"on
the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement if he or she attaches a report
prepared pursuant to subdivision (c)of Section 1103.4 of the Civil Code that
verifies the property is not in the hazard zone.Nothing in this subdivision is
C-18
intended to limit or abridge any existing duty of the transferor or the
transferor's agents to fxercise reasonable care in making a determination
under this subdivisiorr:
(e)Section 1103.13 of the Civil Code shall apply to this section.
(f)The specification of items for disclosure in this section does not limit or
abridge any obligation for disclosure created by any other provision of law or
that may exist in order to avoid fraud,misrepresentation,or deceit in the
transfer transaction.
51184.
(a)Section 51182 shall not apply to 'any land or water area acquired or
managed for one or more of the following purposes or uses:
(1)Habitat for endangered or threatened species,or any species that is a
candidate for listing as an endangered or threatened species by the
state or federal government.
(2)Lands kept in a predominantly natural state as habitat for wildlife,
plant,or animal communities.
(3)Open space lands that are environmentally sensitive parklands.
(4)Other lands having scenic values,as declared by the local agency,or
by state or federal law.
(b)This exemption applies whether the land or water area is held in fee title or
any lesser interest.This exemption applies to any public agency,any
private entity that has dedicated the land or water areas to one or more of
those purposes or uses,or any combination of public agencies and private
entities making that dedication.
(c)This section shall not be construed to prohibit the use of properly authorized
prescribed burning to improve the biological function of land or to assist in
the restoration of desired vegetation.
(d)In the event that any lands adjacent to any land or water area described in
subdivision (a)are improved such that they are subject to Section 51182,the
obligation to comply with Section 51182 shall be with the person owning,
leasing,controlling,operating,or maintaining the occupied dwelling or
occupied structure on the improved lands.All maintenance activities and
other fire prevention measures required by Section 51182 shall be required
only for the improved lands,not the land and water areas described in
subdivision (a).
51185.
(a)A violation of Section 51182 is an infraction punishable by a fine of not less
than one hundred dollars ($100)nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).
(b)If a person is convicted of a second violation of Section 51182 within five
years,that person shall be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred
fifty dollars ($250)nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).
(c)If a person is convicted of a third violation of Section 51182 within five years,
that person is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not
less than five hundred dollars ($500)..
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51186.'.
The local agency having j~risdiction of property upon which conditions regulated
by Section 51182 are being violated shall notify the owner of the property to
correct the conditions.If the owner fails to correct the conditions,the local
agency may cause the corrections to be made,and the expenses incurred shall
become a lien on the property that is the subject of the corrections when
recorded in the county recorder's office in the county in which the real property is
located.The priority of the lien shall be as of the date of recording.The lien
shall contain the legal description of the real property,the assessor's parcel
number,and the name of the owner of record as shown on the latest equalized
assessment roll.
51187.
Any violation of Section 51182 may be considered a public nuisance pursuant to
Section 38773.
51188.
In the instance of conflict between this chapter and any provision of state law that
allows a regional planning agency to regulate very high fire hazard severity
zones,this chapter shall prevail.
51189.
(a)The Legislature finds and declares that space and structure defensibility is
essential to effective fire prevention.This defensibility extends beyond the
vegetation management practices required by this chapter,and includes,
but is not limited to,measures that increase the likelihood of a structure to
withstand intrusion by fire,such as building design and construction
requirements that use fire resistant building materials,and provide
protection of structure projections,including,but not limited to,porches,
decks,balconies and eaves,and structure openings,including,but not
limited to,attic and eave vents and windows.
(b)No later than January 1,2005,the State Fire Marshal,in consultation with
the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Director of Housing
and Community Development,shall,pursuant to Section 18930 of the
Health and Safety Code,recommend bUilding standards that provide for
comprehensive space and structure defensibility to protect structures from
fires spreading from adjacent structures or vegetation and vegetation from
fires spreading from adjacent structures.
Source:http://leginfo.public.ca.gov/calaw.html
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,/-",;
•
Fire Hazard Zoning Model Documentation
9/18/07
1.Background
CDF is legally mandated to periodically map Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)
on SRA lands,as well as recommend Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in
LRA.New building code standards recently promulgated by the State Fire
Marshall have established these maps as the basis for adoption of these new
regulations.Under direction by the Director of CDF,the Fire and Resource
Assessment Program (FRAP)has developed a statewide,consistent logic and
science-based model for Fire Hazard Zoning to meet the needs of the adoption
of these new building standards.
Additional information,including a powerpoint on the FHSZ modeling process
and support documents for the review can be found at;
http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/projects/hazard/fhz.html
2.Definitions
We follow definitions and terminology recently advanced for using classic
quantified risk assessment techniques for use in wildland fire assessment as
found in Bachmann and AlgOwer 2000,and Scott 2006.Here,hazard refers to
the physical conditions that can lead to damage,and risk is a quantified
assessment of that potential damage.Wildfire hazard has two key components:
probability,and fire behavior.The FHSZ modeling outlined here and employed
in the maps uses these two components to describe hazard,but has no
information regarding asset or resource characterization nor their relative
vulnerability to damage as based on the hazard score.A good way of viewing
this issue is to consider fire hazard to only be concerned with the nature of the
fire itself:how often we believe an area will burn,and when it does burn,what
kinds of potential ignition mechanisms will that fire create such that exposure to
buildings may lead to to the structure being damaged/destroyed.Thus hazard
does not equal risk,but is an important factor in determining risk.Ongoing work
at true quantified risk assessment must include hazard,asset characterization,
and response (damage)relationships of various assets to the mixture of fire
behaviors it will be exposed (Scott,2006)
The other key definitional element associated with this work concerns the term
"zone".We interpret wildfire hazard zones to be areas of relatively
homogeneous burn probabilities and associated fire behavior mechanisms that
drive structure ignitions.Consequently zones differ from highly resolved spatial
characterization of fire behavior in that they are aggregated or averaged over
space into zones of user-defined sizes.In the follOWing FHSZ modeling,zones
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(".•...,
vary in sizes from 20 acre minimums in urbanized areas to 200 acre minimums in
wildland areas.
In summary,wildfire hazard zones represent areas of variable size
ranging from 20 acres in urbanized areas to at least 200 acres in wildland
areas,with relatively homogeneous characteristics regarding expected
burn probability and potential fire behavior attributes based on climax fuel
conditions over a 30·50 year time horizon.
3.Model Construction
A simplified flow-chart of the principle steps in FHSZ mapping is shown in Figure
1.The basic procedure follows a zone creation-scoring-classification routine
where zones are differentiated into wildland and urban/developed areas.
A)ZONING
Zoning is divided into urban/developed and wildland areas due to the unique
characteristics of urbanized areas where classic wildland fire assessment tends
to break down.In the wildland areas,expected fire behavior is a function of the
typical fire intensity expected on a normally severe fire weather day,inclusive of
expected firebrands landing in the zone,coupled with the expected likelihood that
the zone will burn as based on a stratified calculation of burn probability
calculated from the last 50 years of fire history.Wildland zones are aggregated
into polygons with a minimum size of 200 acres based on general vegetation
type and slope conditions.
Urban/Developed zones are based on parcel data (where available)in
conjunction with 2000 census data and the existing urban footprint found in the
most recent multi-source statewide vegetation map data available at FRAP.The
criteria are based on concentrations of development where minimum size of area
(20 acres)and maximum size of residential parcels (2 acres)is designed to find
areas where significant changes in the drivers for hazard change as a reflection
of urbanization:fuel discontinuity,non-wildland fuels,increased detection and
suppression response,etc.The net effect is to define areas where eXisting
modeling techniques designed for wildlands do not effectively·work.
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WlldlandiQJ1e$·
fIRE HAZARD$MRITY ZONING
MODaSTRUCTURE
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".,.,~
'.
B)SCORING/CLASSIFICATION
The Fire Hazard Zone model uses expected potential fire behavior in conjunction
with burn probability to assess hazard.Wildland Zones are relatively uniform
areas regarding slope and potential fuel type that represents the maximal fire
hazard.Assessment of fuel conditions for this process differ from many hazard
assessments in that the model may differ from current conditions due to the
desire to reflect hazard potential over a long (30-50 year)horizon.Consequently,
fuel characterization uses a "climax fuel"construct,to reflect the maximal fire
hazard the area might produce during this period.Burn probability acts as fire
behavior mUltiplier and as such exerts strong influence on scoring.Cell-based
fire behavior reflecting nearby radiation and flame-contact potential is based on
expected flame length times burn probability that is then classified into three
classes.
Firebrands are produced from sites based on surface fire or torching potential of
forested fuel types and produce a halo of area where brands are received.Each
cell in the data set is calculated for its sum of all brand scores received,which
then forms the basis for the final brand 3-class data that together with flame
class forms the basis of the final FHSZ class score.
In contrast,urban zones as classified based on the wildland hazard adjacent to
the developed area,the vegetation density and fuel type in the developed area,
and the likely zone of influence of firebrands coming from wildland and densely
vegetated urban areas supporting woody vegetation.Both inputs to the model
and the final product have been extensively cross-checked against recent (2005)
full color aerial photography as a means of ground check.Analogous 3-class
flame and brand class components are used for final FHSZ classification.Where
counties have made parcel data available to CDF,final boundaries between
rankings in wildland areas are adjusted to result in no parcels less than 5 acres
having more than one ranking,and all rankings in developed areas are resolved
at the individual parcel scale (Le.,no parcels are split amongst two or more
hazard ranks).In cases where no parcel data is available,the maps have no
rectification with parcel boundaries,and will require review and jUdgment
regarding appropriate designation in cases where parcels are split.
4.Model Considerations Useful in Review and Improvement In LRA-
VHFHSZ Map Accuracy
The computer-generated map being reviewed here is a result of model
development that uses data to describe the expected physical environment,and
logic rules that translate the data into a description of fire hazard potential
specific to ignition exposure to new construction.The map is only as good as the
input data and model rules used to create it.It was built over very large spatial
scales,across widely diverse types of lands,and includes estimations for fuel
C-24
conditions and burn probabilities over relatively long periods of time.As such,
the map should be viewed as CAL-FIRE'S best first attempt to create an
accurate picture of areas of significant hazard potential.We encourage
deliberations that include both upgrading hazard areas currently not considered
VH,and downgrading areas currently designated as VH into lower classifications
where warranted.While direct contact will automatically be made to all
jurisdictions with DRAFT VH areas,diligence must be used to communicate with
jurisdictions that are not currently VH,but may warrant it.
Areas of the map can be significantly improved by detailed local review where a
number of key issues should be understood about the model's definitions,intent,
and application.While we encourage and welcome local review,
recommendations for change need to be supported by information relevant to
how and why the model was constructed as it has been.Consequently,in
addition to the recommended change areas produced during the review process,
we also ask for information providing justification for these changes,and contact
information for the person making the request should we need to contact the
person to better understand their submissions.
Background issues relevant to improving the VHFHSZ map:
•The FHSZ model is built off a presumption that urbanized areas may also
be considered very hazardous when adjacent to open wildland areas that
can initiate an urban conflagration,that is,the FHSZ model is wildland-
centric in the sense that wildland areas -in addition to being hazardous
themselves,also influence the hazard conditions of non-wildland areas
near them.Thus,VHFHSZ's are predicated on an area of wildland
meeting the models specifications of significance.
•To qualify as a unique zone,the area must be a minimum size of 200
acres,unless bounded on all sides by urban areas,in which case
minimum size is reduced to 20 acres.
•Wildland fuels and the local fire environment (slope,aspect,fire weather
patterns,ignition potential,etc.)combine to create a characteristic burn
probability and fire behavior in the form of both flame length and firebrand
production.
•Wildland areas that are suspect as to their hazard conditions can be
documented and reference information (photography,description,etc.)
accompany the change area to justify changing its hazard rating.
•Omission errors in the map result from our inability to accurately map
enclaves of wildland areas within urbanized areas.If you believe the map
does not reflect VH urbanized areas,potential areas to evaluate include
those 20 acre and larger within urban zones,and those under 20 acres
C-25
....•,........
connected to adjacent wildland zones.Additionally,the model does not
include any explicit treatment of eXisting structural fuels on fire hazard and
spread (e.g.,a high percentage of wood roofs in a particular area)that
would influence the overall hazard,please document these conditions.
•Commission errors -that is those areas identified as Very High hazard,
but are actually not --may be a function of bad input data describing the
wildland areas,or possibly out-of-date land descriptions for recently
developed areas.It is important to note that recent development does not
automatically warrant exclusion from VH designation.Size,shape,and
adjacent wildland characteristics provide both immediate fire exposure at
the margins of these newly developed areas,and firebrands may manifest
exposure to interior portions of the area as well.Suggestions for removal
of areas from VH designation should take these factors into account.
•FHSZ describes only the physical hazard of vegetation and associated
urban-conflagration fires;factors relating to mitigated risk provided by local
fire suppression and/or fire prevention measures are not included in the
model and cannot be used directly as a justification for changing the
hazard classification.Examples,such as water delivery systems,
access/egress,local fire safe measures can only provide justification if
they can be materially documented to change the basic bUilding blocks of
the FHSZ model.Fuel modifications are viewed as transient,and many
fire protection system elements are ineffective in urban conflagrations,but
local conditions that significantly affect the chance of a fire occurring may
possibly justify a change to the map.
5.Questions and Comments
Questions and comments regarding model development and review and
validation procedures can be directed to the Unit FHSZ contact at each CAL
FIRE Unit or Contract County.
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...."...
Literature Cited
".,
Bachmann,Andreas,and B.Allgower.2000 The need for a consistent wildfire
risk terminology.Pages 67-77 In:Vol 1,Proceedings from:The Joint Fire
Sciences Conference and Workshop,Boise 10 June 15-17,1999.L.F.
Neuenschwander,K.C.Ryan,Tech.Eds.University of Idaho,Moscow 10.
Scott
Scott,Joe H.2006.An analytical framework for quantifying wildland fire risk and
fuel treatment benefit.Pages 149-162 In:Fuels Management -How to measure
success:Conference Proceedings.USDA,Forest Service Rocky Mountain
Research Station Proceedings RMR-P_41.809 p.
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....,-~
"
AppendixA.
FHSZ_class descriptions
Class levels are applied to both wildland and urban/developed areas:
Wildland zones are defined as relatively homogeneous areas 200 ac and larger
dominated by native vegetation cover.They may include in holdings of non-
burnable types including water,agricultural lands and barrenlrock,but the
majority of the landscape is covered by natural plant cover.
Developed/Urban zones are areas that have a strong influence of human
development,and are characterized by parcel sizes 2 acres or smaller and/or
intermingled commercial properties.Contiguous Zones are a minimum of 20
acres in total size,and wildland enclaves within urban areas are also a minimum
of 20 acres.
FHSZ_class definitions
Value =1
Label =Moderate
Either a)Wildland areas supporting areas of typically low fire frequency and
relatively modest fire behavior.Contributing factors may include a relatively short
active fire season and/or low frequency of severe fire weather conditions;modest
slope;low incidence of past large and damaging fires;dominant climax fuel types
supporting modest surface fire regimes with respect to fire intensity and minimal
areas supporting crown fire and associated firebrand development and reception;
nearby or interspersed areas supporting non-wildland fuels (agriculture lands,
water,rock/barren)may also be present.
Or b)developed/urbanized areas with a very high density of non-burnable
surfaces including roadways,irrigated lawn/parks,and low total vegetation cover
«30%)that is highly fragmented and low in flammability (e.g.,irrigated,
manicured,managed vegetation).These areas are classic high density urban
residential areas or commercial properties where wildland areas are removed
by a large distance (>.5 mile)or if closer,only present modest fire hazards ((see
above).If fire was to spread through these zones it would either be isolated
and contained due to incidence of firebrands,or resulting from house-to-house
ignitions under the most extreme weather conditions.
Value =2
Label =High
Either a)wildland areas supporting medium to high hazard fire behavior and
roughly average burn probabilities.Typically characterized by climax fuels from
C-28
surface strata only with flat to steep slopes in conjunction with relatively rare fire
occurrence influenced by short fire seasons and/or significant moderation of fire
weather conditions (e.g.marine influence on fuel moistures),or lesser hazard
fuels types sUbject to more prevalent burn frequencies.Nearby forested areas
supporting crown fire are isolated or non-existent.Slopes vary from flat to steep,
depending on fuel hazards and burn probabilities.
Or b)developed/urbanized areas with moderate vegetation cover and more
limited non-burnable cover.Vegetation cover typically ranges from 30-50%and
is only partially fragmented.Short-range lateral spotting may breech fuel
discontinuities and allow for some areas to spread as a flame front.Areas
supporting tree cover should not result in significant torching.Adjacent nearby
wildlands (within %mile)are typically High Hazard zones (see above)or if farther
away,more typical of Very High Hazard zones (see below).These areas lie
midway between classic urbanized areas dominated by homes,roadways,and
low flammability vegetation cover,and those developed areas where both
surface and crown fuels are dense and continuous.
Value =3
Label =Very High
Either a)wildland areas supporting high-to extreme-fire behavior resulting from
climax fuels typified by well developed surface fuel profiles (e.g.,mature
chaparral)or forested systems where crown fire is likely.Additional site
elements include steep and mixed topography and climate/fire weather patterns
that include seasonal extreme weather conditions of strong winds and dry fuel
moistures.Burn frequency is typically high,and should be evidenced by
numerous historical large fires in the area.Firebrands from both short-«200
yards)and long-range sources are often abundant.
Or b)developed/urban areas typically with high vegetation density (>70%cover)
and associated high fuel continuity,allowing for frontal flame spread over much
of the area to progress impeded by only isolated non-burnable fractions.Often
where tree cover is abundant,these areas look very similar to adjacent wildland
areas.Developed areas may have less vegetation cover and still be in this class
when in the immediate vicinity (1/4 mile)of wildland areas zoned as Very High
(see above).
Value =-2
Label =Urban/non-zoned
Developed areas spatially removed from proximity to wildland fire areas.Urban
centers such as city centers ranging from 200 ft to %miles way from wildland
zones,where the critical distance allowing for this classification is dependent on
the nature of the fire hazards in those wildland areas.
C-29
,I
Value =·1
Label =Non burnable open Space
Areas outside State Responsibility Areas (8RA)that are not classified as
developed/urban or as a wildland zone,and are typically associated with non-
flammable conditions:water,agricultural lands (excluding rangelands)and
barren/rock areas.Similar areas within 8RA are recoded to the Moderate class
per state statute.
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'.
CHAPTER 7A ISFMJ
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR
EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE
SECTION 701A
SCOPE,PURPOSE AND APPLICATION
701A.I Scope.This chapter applies to building materials,sys-
tems and/or assemblies used in the exterior design and 'con-
struction of new buildings located within a Wildland-Urban
Interface Fire Area as defined in Section 702A.
701A.2 Purpose.The purpose of this chapter is to establish
minimum standards for the protection of life and property by
increasing the ability ofa building located in any Fire Hazard
Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas or any
Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area to resist the intrusion of
flames or burning embers projected by a vegetation fire and
contributes to a systematic reduction in conflagration losses.
701A.3 Application-New buildings located in any Fire Hazard
Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas or any
Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by the enforc-
ing agency for which an application for a building permit is
submitted on orafter December 1,2005,shall comply with the
following sections:
1.704A.I-Rooftng
2.704A.2-Attic Ventilation
70lA.3.1 Alternotes for materials,design,tests,and meth-
ods ofconstruction.The enforcing agency is permitted to
modify the provisions ofthis chapterfor site-specific condi-
tions in accordance with Appendix Chapter 1,Section
104.10.When required by the enforcing agency for the pur-
poses ofgranting modifications,a fire protection plan shall
be submitted in accordance with the California Fire Code,
Chapter 47.
701A.3ol New buildings located in anyfire haztml severity
zone.New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity
Zone shall comply with one ofthe following:
1.State Responsibility Areas.New building located in
any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsi-
bility Areas,for which an application for a building
permit is submitted on or after January 1,2008,shall
comply with all sections ofthis chapter.
2.LocalAgency Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
New buildings located in any Local Agency
Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zone for which an
application for a building permit is submitted on or
after July 1,2008,shall comply with all sections of
this chapter.
3.Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by
the enforcing agency.New buildings located in any
Wildlan d-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by
the enforcing agency for which an application for a
building permit is submitted on or after January 1,
2008,shall comply with all sections ofthis chapter.
70IA.3.2.1 Inspection and certijication.Building per-
mit applications and final completion approvals for
buildings within the scope and application ofthis chap-
ter shall comply with the following:
701A.3.2.2 The local building official shalt prior to con-
struction,provide the owner or applicant a certification
that the building as proposed to be built complies with all
applicable state and local building standards,including
thoseformaterials and construction methodsforwildfire
exposure as described in this chapter.
70IA.3.2.3 The local building official shall,upon com-
pletion ofconstruction,provide the owner or applicant
with a copy of the final inspection report that demon-
strates the building was constructed in compliance with
all applicable state and local building standards,includ-
ing those for materials and construction methods for
wildlife exposure as described in this chapter.
70IA.3.2.4 Prior to building permit final approval the
property shall be in compliance with the vegetation
clearance requirements prescribed in California Public
Resources Code 4291 California Government Code Sec-
tion51182.
SECTION 702A
DEFINmONS
For the purposes of this chapter;certain terms are defined
below:
CDF DIRECTOR means the Director of the California
Department ofForestry and Fire Protection.
FIRE PROTECTION PLAN is a document prepared for a
specific project ordevelopmentproposedfor a Wildland Urban
Interface Fire Area.It describes ways to minimize and mitigate
potential for loss from wil4fire exposure.
The Fire Protection Plan shall be in accordance with this
chapter and the California Fire Code,Chapter 47.When
required by the eriforcing agency for the purposes ofgranting
modifications,a fire protection plan shall be submitted.Only
locally adopted ordinances that have been filed with the Cali-
fornia Building Standards Commission or the Department of
Housing and Community Development in accordance with
Section 101.8 shall apply.
FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES are geographical areas
designated pursuant to California Public Resources Co4es
Sections 4201 through 4204 and classified as Very High,High,
or Moderate in State Responsibility Areas or as Local Agency
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones designated pursuant to
California Government Code,Sections 51175 through 51189.
See California Fire Code Article 86.
2007 CAUFORNIA BUILDING CODE JANUARY 1,2008 SUPPLEMENT 235C-31
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE
tion-resistant materials or noncombustible construction on
the exposed underside.
704A.3 Exterior walls.
704A.3.1 General.Exterior walls shall be approved
noncombustible or ignition-resistant material,heavy tim-
ber,or log wall construction or shall provide protection
from the intrusion offlames and embers in accordance with
standard SFM J2-7A-I.
704A.3.1.1 Exterior wall coverings.Exterior wall cov-
erings shall extend from the top ofthe foundation to the
roof,and terminate at 2-inch (50.8 mm)nominal solid
wood blocking between rafters at all roof overhangs,or
in the case ofenclosed eaves,terminate atthe enclosure.
704A.3.2 Exterior wall opening8.Exterior wall openings
shall be in accordance with this section.
704A.3.2.1 Exterior wall ~nts.Unless otherwise pro-
hibited by other provisions ofthis code,vent openings in
exterior walls shall resist the intrusion of flame and
embers into the structure or vents shall be screened with
a corrosion-resistant,noncombustible wire mesh with
1/4-inch (6 mm)openings or its equivalent.
704A.3.2.2 Exteriorgltlzingand window walls.Exterior
windows,window walls,glazed doors,and glazed open-
ings within exterior doors shall be insulating-glass units
with a minimum of one tempered pane,or glass block
units,or have afire-resistance rating ofnot less than 20
minutes,when tested according toASTM E 2010,or con-
form to the performance requirements ofSFM 12-7A-2.
704A.3.2.3 Exterior door assemblie8.Exterior door
assemblies shall conform to the performance require-
mentsofstantJardSFM I2-7A-I or shall be ofapproved
noncombustible construction,or solid core wood having
stiles and rails not less than 1%inches thick with interior
field panel thickness no less than 11/4 inches thick,or
shall have afire-resistance rating ofnot less than 20 min-
utes when tested according to ASTM E 2074.
Exception:Noncombustible or eXterior fire-retar-
dant treated wood vehicle access doors are not
required to comply with this chapter.
704A.4 Decking,floors and underfloor protection.
.704A.4.1 Decking.
704A.4.1.1 Decking surfaces.·Decking,surfaces,stair
treads,risers,and landings ofdecks,porches,and balco-
nies where any portion ofsuch surface is within 10 feet
(3048 mm)of the primary structure shall comply with
one ofthe following methods:
1.Shall be constructed of ignition-resistant materi-
als and pass the performance requirements ofSFM
12-7A-4,Parts A and B.
2.Shall be constructed with heavy timber,exterior
fire-retardant-treated wood or approved noncom-
bustible materials.
3.Shall pass the performance requirements ofSFM
12-7A-4,Part A,12-7A-4.7.5.I only with a net
peak heat release rate of25kW/sq-ft for a 40-min-
ute observation period and:
a.Decking surface material shall pass the ac-
celerated weathering test and be identified
as exterior type,in accordance withASTM D
2898 and ASTM D 3201 and;
b.The exterior wall covering to which it the
deck is attached and within 10 (3048 mm)
feet of the deck shall be constructed of ap-
proved noncombustible or ignition resistant
material.
Exception:Walls are not required to comply
with this subsection if the decking surface
material conforms to ASTM E-84 Class B
flame spread.
The use of paints,coatings,stains,or other surface
treatments are not an approved method ofprotection as
required in this chapter.
704A.4.2 Underfloor and appendages protection.
704A.4.2.1 Underside 01 appendages andfloor projec-
tions.The underside of cantilevered and overhanging
appendages and floor projections shall maintain the
ignition-resistant integrity ofexterior walls.or the pro-
jection shall be enclosed to the grade.
704A.4.2.2 Unenclosed underfloor protection.Build-
ings shall have all undeifloor areas enclosed to the
grade with exterior walls in accordance with Section
704A.3.
Exception:The complete enclosure of under floor
areas may be omitted where the underside of all
exposed floors,exposed structural columns,beams
and supporting walls are protected as required with
exterior ignition-resistant material construction or be
heavy timber.
704A.5 Ancillary buildings and structures.
704A.5.1 Ancillary buildings and structures.When
required by the enforcing agency.ancillary buildings and
structures and detached accessory structures shall comply
with the provisions ofthis chapter.
2007 CAUFORNIA BUILDING CODE JANUARY 1.2008 SUPPLEMENT 237C-32
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR WILDFIRE EXPOSURE
II
exterior walls shall resist the intrusion of flame and
embers into the structure or vents shall be screened with
a corrosion-resistant,noncombustible wire mesh with
'I"..inch (6 mm)openings or its equivalent.
704.4..3.2.2 Exterior glazing and window walls.Exterior
windows,window walls,glazed doors,and glazed open-
ings within exterior doors shall be insulating-glass units
with a minimum of one tempered pane,or glass block
units,or have afire-resistance rating ofnot less than 20
minutes,when tested according to ASTM E 2010,orcon-
form to the performance requirements ofSFM 12-7A~2.
704A.3.2.3 Exterior door assemblies.Exterior door·
assemblies shall conform to the performance require-
ments ofstandard SFM 12-7A-1 or shall be ofapproved
noncombustible construction,or solid core wood having
stiles and rails not less than 1%inches thick with interior
field panel thickness no less than 1'14 inches thick,or
shall have afire-resistance rating ofnot less than 20 min-
utes when tested according to ASTM E 2074.
Exception:Noncombustible or exterior fire-retar-
dant treated wood vehicle access doors are not
required to comply with this chapter.
704A.4 Decking,floors and unthrfloor protection.
704A.4.1 Decking.
704A.4.1.1 Decking surfaces.Decking,surfaces,stair
treads,risers,and landings ofdecks,porches,and balco-
nies where any portion of such surface is within 10 feet
(3048 mm)of the primary structure shall comply with
one ofthefollowing methods:
1.Shall be constructed of ignition-resistant materi-
als and pass the performance requirements ofSFM
12-7A-4,Parts A and B.
2.Shall be constructed with heavy timber,exterior
fire-retan:Jant-treated wood or approved noncom-
bustible materials.
3.Shall pass the performance requirements of SFM
12-7A-4,Part A,12-7A-4.7.5.1 only with a net
peak heat release rate of25kWlsq-ft for a 40-min-
ute observation period and:
a.Decking surface material shall pass the ac-
celerated weathering test and be identified
as exterior type,in accordance withASTM D
2898 and ASTM D 3201 and;
b.The exterior wall covering to which it the
deck is attached and within 10 (3048 mm)
feet of the deck shall be constructed ofap-
proved noncombustible or ignition resistant
material.
Exception:Walls are not required to comply
with this subsection if the decking surface
material conforms to ASTM E-84 Class B
flame spread.
The use of paints,coatings,stains,or other surface
treatments are not an approved method ofprotection as
required in this chapter.
704A.4.2 Underfloor and appendages protection.
704A.4.2.1 Underside ofappendages andfloor projec-
tions.The underside of cantilevered and overhanging
appendages and floor projections shall maintain the
ignition-resistant integrity of exterior walls,or the pro-
jection shall be enclosed to the grade.
704A.4.2.2 Unenclosed underfloor protection.Build-
ings shall have all underfloor areas enclosed to the
grade with exterior walls in accordance with Section
704A.3.
Exception:The complete enclosure of under floor
areas may be omitted where the underside of all
exposed floors,exposed structural columns,beams
and supporting walls are protected as required with
exterior ignition-resistant material construction or be
heavy timber.
704A.5 Ancillary buildings and structures.
704A.5.1 Ancillary buildings and structures.When
required by the enforcing agency,ancillary buildings and
structures and detached accessory structures shall comply
with the provisions of this chapter.
2007 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE JANUARY 1,2008 ERRATA 237
C-33
.Yl'lmUi~
[j)]]&HiliIDi1 (D1 ~1J)}
News Overview I Press Releases I 2007 Press Releases I Insurance Commissioner Poizner Partners with
CAL FIRE to Prevent and Mitigate Fire Losses for Californians
NEWS:2007 PRESS RELEASE
For Release:October 15,2007
Media Calls Only:916"492"3566
Insurance Commissioner Poizner Partners with CAL FIRE to Prevent and
Mitigate Fire Losses for Californians
At the Start of Fall Fire Season,Commissioner Poizner Signs Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU)with CAL FIRE Director to Protect Californians from Millions of
Dollars in Potential Wildfire Losses
SACRAMENTO -Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today kicked off Fall fire season
in California.He joined CAL FIRE Director Ruben Grijalva to sign a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU)to help prevent and mitigate fire losses in California.As the Golden
State faces an abnormally dry fall fire season,today's MOU establishes a partnership and
joint commitment to protecting Californians from fire losses.
liAs Insurance Commissioner,I'm committed to helping Californians and their ~ssets stay
out of harm's way,"said Commissioner Poizner."Today,as we enter into one of the worst
fire seasons in our state's history,I am pleased to join CAL FIRE Director Grijalva to
further protect consumers from the serious threat of wildfires."
California is in the midst of a dangerous fire season due to a harsh confluence of factors.
Increased fuel,abnormally dry weather,greater urban interface and upcoming Santa Ana
winds have created a particUlarly combustible mix for the 2007 fire season.Each year,
hundreds of thousands of acres burn due to wildfires.Thousands of homes,businesses
and other structures are damaged or destroyed every year,averaging more than $200
million in annual property damage.
Together,Commissioner Poizner and Director Grijalva have signed today's MOU to
mutually promote awareness and collaboration among fire officials,the insurance industry
C-34
.........
CDCC!'UmE 200715 OctMOU Press Re1e
,i..
Page2of2
and the public to prevent and mitigate fire losses.With the MOU,Commissioner Poizner
and Director Grijalva will w~rk to:
~
Launch a pUblic awareness campaign.CDI and CAL FIRE will develop an outreach
program targeted to residents and businesses located in the wildland-urban interface,
and collaborate with additional fire mitigation groups like the California Fire Safe
Council.
Explore fire mitigation insurer educational programs.CDI and CAL FIRE will work
towards developing a one-day educational course for insurance policy makers,
underwriters and property inspectors to teach effective mitigation strategies.This
course would be offered to all personal and commercial lines property insurers writing
policies in California.
Create a statewide emergency services database to merge the already defined and
mapped hazardous areas with the risks associated with those areas after mitigation
efforts have been performed.
Reevaluate inspection procedures of the California FAIR Plan Association to ensure
current procedures are appropriate for determining the risk of an individual property.
CDI and CAL FIRE will additionally work to provide training and certification of the FAIR
Plan inspection bureau staff to encourage consistent and fair application of inspection
criteria.
Develop strategies to share fire activity information and databases before,during
and after wildfires to streamline efforts for faster deployment of agency resources to
fire-ravaged communities.
Increase incentives for homeowners,businesses and insurance companies to
actively prevent and mitigate fire risks.
The entire text of the MOU is attached.
###
Please visit the Department of Insurance Web site at www.insurance.ca.gov.Non media
inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800.927.HELP.Callers from out of
state,please dial 213.897.8921.Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD),please
dial 800.482.4833.
If you are a member of the public wishing information,please visit our Consumer Services
Organizational Contacts:
CALFIRE -Kate Dargan,State Fire Marshal kate.dargan@fire.ca.gov
COl -Tony Cignarale,Deputy Commissioner cignarale@insurance.ca.gov
COl Press Release @ httD:llwww.lnsurance.ca.goyI0400-news!01 OO-press-releases!0060-2007lrelease1 00-07.cfm
MOU @ htl;p:/Iwww.jnsumnce.ca.gQy/O4OO-npwslOIOO-llress-releaseslO060-2007/11l.IoadlInsumnce COl CALFIRij MQU 091007TC.pdf
C-35
STEVE POIZNER
Insurance Commissioner
California Department of Insurance
RUBEN GRIJALVA
Director
California Department of Forestry
&Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
MEMORDANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)establishes a partnership between
the California Department of Insurance,Steve Poizner,Insurance Commissioner
and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE),Ruben
Grijalva,Director in the prevention and mitigation of fire losses In California.
I.BACKGROUND
The California Department of Insurance (CDI)regulates California's $118 billion
insurance industry,the fourth largest insurance market in the world.Among his many
duties,the Insurance Commissioner oversees the activities of all fire,homeowner,and
other insurance products,which are intended to protect the public and businesses from
losses,including losses caused by wildfire.One of Insurance Commissioner Poizner's
primary objectives is to increase public awareness of the value of disaster preparation
and mitigation for all types of disasters,including destructive wildfires.The Insurance
Commissioner is committed to ensuring that fire insurance coverage is both affordable
and available to those who need it most.
CAL FIRE/State Fire Marshal's (SFM)office provides Californians with a wide variety of
pUblic safety services including fire protection,fire prevention,law enforcement,code
enforcement,arson/bomb response,hazardous liquid pipeline safety and product
safety.The mission of the CAL FIRElSFM is to protect life and property through the
development and application of fire prevention engineering,education and enforcement.
The CAL FIRE/SFM office is actively engaged in seeking new ways to approach the
wildfire problem and bring additional resources,programs,and partnerships to bear on
reducing loss and costs.
Facts at a glance:
•The number and degree of wildfire losses are increasing in California decade by
decade.
•Each year,over $10'0 million is being spent in the suppression efforts and more
in the disaster recovery phases of these catastrophic natural and/or human
caused hazards,but the losses continue to mount.
1
C-36
•Hundred of thousandl of acres within the wildland-urban interface burn each
year.
•Thousands of homes,businesses and other structures are damaged or
destroyed each year by wildfires,resulting (on average)in more than $200
million in annual property damage.
•Many of these fires result in injury and/or death to fire department and law
enforcement personnel,and members of the pUblic.
•In the 2003-2004 wildfire sieges,CAL FIRE's fire suppression costs exceeded
$252.3 million;property damage costs exceeded $974 million;5,394 structures
were destroyed;and more than 23 people lost their lives as a result of California
wildfires.
•More than 5 million homes are currently located in California's wildland-urban
interface.As more homes are built within these areas,the danger to life and
property will continue to increase,unless significant action takes place to prevent
these fires or mitigate the damage and injury caused by fire.
II.COLLABORATIVE MISSION
Together,the California Department of Insurance Commissioner and CAL FIRE
Director,enter into this MOU to mutually promote an increased awareness and
collaboration among fire officials,the insurance industry and the public in the prevention
and mitigation of fire losses.Accordingly,the California Insurance Commissioner and
CAL FIRE Director,agree to collaborate on the following goals:
•Reduce the risk that wildfires will cause in the loss of life or large-scale property
damage/loss.
•Increase awareness of fire officials,the insurance industry and the public on
methods and ways to prevent and mitigate fire losses.
•Increase incentives for homeowners,businesses,and insurance companies to
actively prevent and mitigate fire risks.
•The Department of Insurance will facilitate obtaining comments/suggestions on
the concepts contained herein,from representatives of the California insurance
industry with the end goal of receiving their endorsement on this collaborative
venture.
Unless otherwise agreed,each organization of this MOU is responsible for its own
expenses related to this MOU.There will be no exchange of funds between the parties
for tasks associated with this MOU.
2
C-37
III.SCOPE OF COLLABORATION
In addition to as yet unknown/other pertinent efforts,that may be agreed upon,the
California Insurance Commissioner and CAL FIRE/SFM agrees to collaborate 'on the
following projects:
1.Public Awareness Campaign·Prevention and Mitigation
The public may realize several benefits of prevention and mitigation of wildfires
which include:(1)a direct reduction in the risk of property damage,death or
injury caused by fire,(2)increased availability and afford ability of homeowners',
business and other insurance products;and (3)increased level of insurance
coverage resulting in fewer out-of-pocket expenses to rebuild after a fire.
Accordingly,the California Insurance Commissioner and CAL FIRE Director
agree to collaborate on development of an outreach program targeted to
residents and businesses located in the wildland-urban interface.The parties
also agree to work closely on outreach projects with other organizations
committed to fire safety,prevention and mitigation.such as,the California Fire
Safe Council and others.
2.Insurance Company Education·Wildfire Risk and Mitigation Courses
In cooperation with the California Department of Insurance,the CAL FIRE/SFM
will examine the feasibility and value In offering to insurers managing property
business in California,a one-day course (brought to the insurers regional offices)
targeting appropriate wildfire risk assessment and property mitigation strategies
in California to:
•Educate policy makers,underwriters and property inspectors.
•Share best practices that promote fire-safe living in the Wildland-Urban
Interface (WUI)as outlined within building codes and standards.
•Teach effective mitigation strategies that (when applied)would
significantly reduce the risk level and serve to Increase the comfort level of
insuring property within the wildland-urban interface.
This course would be offered to all personal/commercial property insurers writing
business policies in California.CAL FIRE/SFM SUbject matter expert staff will
provide the instruction to the insurer's audience.The Insurance Commissioner's
Office will assist in the review of course materials and facilitation of the courses.
3
C-38
,.'
3.Review of Fire Inlurance Risk Models
The development of a property's fire insurance premium by an insurer commonly
includes a factor representing the proximity and effectiveness of public fire
suppression capabilities.It also commonly includes an interest in the type of fire
department (on-duty,public safety officers or volunteer),nearest fire station to
the risk,type of response (pump and aerial apparatus,emergency medical,etc.)
from the closest fire station and the availability of an effective water supply.
Insurers often attempt to obtain this information through direct contact with the
fire department providing service~to the risk in question.This is a cumbersome
process relying upon the availability and cooperation of the fire department.
CAL FIRE/SFM currently maintains a small Internal division that manages the
National Fire Database Reporting System California inputs.Partnering with the
insurance industry and expanding the purpose of this division to serve the data
and analytical needs of both the California fire service and insurers through the
creation of a statewide emergency services database would greatly enhance
information-sharing and risk assessment.
Risk Mitigation Mapping is an obvious "next generation"activity for California.As
a State,we have advanced to the point where we are able to define and map
hazard areas for a variety of natural hazards (wildfire,flood,seismic),but we
have yet to quantify mitigation effectiveness,collect that information,and display
it in conjunction with the underlying hazard.This tool,more than any other,will
demonstrate the effect of the actions we are taking collectively to mitigate risk.
A partnership with fire prevention/protection and insurance is a solid starting
point for this improvement since both are directly founded upon risk mitigation.
This effort would start with pilot project(s)to create the databases,quantify the
hazard and effective mitigations through a weighted-values assessment
methodology,acquisition and compilation of Geographic Information Systems
(GIS)data for graphical display,on-site assessments,and continuing analysis.A
two-year pilot project will develop sufficient templates and process assessments
from which to propose a statewide effort.
4.California's Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan (FAIR Plan)
Established by the Legislature in 1968,one of the California FAIR Plan's
objectives is to,"...assure the availability of basic property insurance ...to
properties ..Jor which basic property insurance cannot be obtained through the
normal insurance market".A large portion of these properties are in the program
because of their exposure to the brush fire hazard found in the wildland-urban
interface.
California Insurance Code Section 10090-10100.2 appears to support the
individual risk inspection and improvement statements for many properties
located within wildfire risk areas.However,may be missing the input of the
SUbject experts to assist in the correct assignment of the assessment of risk as
well as the communication of preferred risks to insurers.The current inspection
4
C-39
forms used by the'ins,ection bureau(s)may not have incorporated a complete
knowledge base conforming to national best practices and appear to focus only
upon the distance to the hazardous brush with no attention to the impact of flying
embers.There appears to be a need for guidelines for properties located within
areas exposed to wildfires other than brush (primarily Central &Northern
California).CAL FIRE/SFM has significant expertise in all types of wildland fire
that takes advantage of scientific studies,codes and standards,and results from
post fire studies.
CAL FIRE/SFM in cooperation with the Department of Insurance will work with
the governing committee of the California FAIR Plan Association to analyze
whether the current inspection form and inspection procedures are appropriate 'to
use to measure a property's risk to loss by a wildland fire;and,if needed,work
collaboratively to improve the form and the inspections procedures used by the
FAIR Plan.Following approval of the form,the CAL FIRE/SFM will provide
training and certification of the inspection bureau staff to encourage a consistent
and fair application of the inspection criteria.By utilizing the CAL FIRElSFM
expertise in the property review it can be expected that ~proper assessment of
the risk coupled with utilization of the guidance to mitigate the exposure will
reduce the structure and life loss potential of a wildland fire event.
5.Damage Assessment
Both COl and CAL FIRE perform damage assessment functions immediately
after a catastrophic wildfire.A review of this process may reveal strategies to
partner before,during,and after large and damaging wildfires.Providing faster
access to CAL FIRE's fire activity information/data bases may assist COl in
planning for resource deployment during fires.The Office of Emergency Services
(OES)may be a natural partner in this as they also conduct,a damage
assessment process for disaster declaration requirements.A timely,more
efficient damage assessment process provides better service levels to the
affected victims and local communities,speeds the recovery effort,and allows for
enhanced fraud enforcement.The California Insurance Commissioner and
CAL FIRE Director agrees to examine each agency's respective damage
assessment functions to determine where a sharing of damage assessment data
is appropriate and valuable.
5
C-40
,f"•
IV.ORGANIZATION CONTtCTS
Both the California Insurance Commissioner and the CAL FIRE Director will appoint a
person to serve as the official contact to coordinate the activities of each organization in
carrying out this MOU.The initial appointees of each organization are:
Department of Insurance:
CAL FIRE:
V.AUTHORIZATIONS
Tony Cignarale,Deputy Commissioner
Consumer Services &Market Conduct Branch
300 S.Spring Street
Los A(lgeles,CA 90013
(213)346-6360
cignaralea@insurance.ca.gov
Kate Dargan,State Fire Marshal
State Fire Marshal's Office
1131 "S"Street
Sacramento CA,95814
(916)445-8434
kate.dargan@fire.ca.gov
On behalf of the organization I represent,I wish to sign this Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU)establishing a partnership between the California Department of
Insurance and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)in
the prevention and mitigation of fire losses in California;and contribute to its further
development.
SIGNATURE ON FILE
Steve Poizner.California Insurance Commissioner
California Department of Insurance
SIGNATURE ON FILE
Ruben Grijalva,Director
California Department of Forestry &Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Date:10/15/07
Date:10/15/07
6
C-41
As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull
Back From Riskiest Areas
By Christopher Flavelle
Aug. 20, 2019
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter.
WASHINGTON — Insurers are quietly reducing their exposure to fire-prone
regions across the Western United States, putting new pressure on homeowners
and raising concerns that climate change could eventually make insurance
unaffordable in some areas.
Officials in California, Washington, Montana and Colorado are getting more
complaints from people whose insurance companies have refused to renew their
coverage. The complaints follow years of record-setting wildfires in both size and
cost, a trend that scientists expect to continue as global warming accelerates.
“I think that we are not far away from a lot of weather-related events being too
expensive for most people to purchase comprehensive coverage,” said Carolyn
Kousky, executive director of the Wharton Risk Center at the University of
Pennsylvania. “What happens then is the big question.”
On Tuesday, California’s Department of Insurance issued a report quantifying that
pullback. For the ZIP codes most affected by the wildfires in 2015 and 2017, the
number of homeowners dropped by their insurance companies jumped 10 percent
between 2017 and 2018.
In the 10 California counties with the most homes in high-risk areas, the number of
homeowners’ policies written by major insurers, whose rate increases must be
approved by state regulators, fell by 5 percent between 2015 and 2018, the
department said.
Page 1 of 4As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull Back From Riskiest Areas - The New York Times
9/6/2019https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/climate/fire-insurance-renewal.html?action=click&m...
D-1
Another way of measuring the growing reluctance of insurers is the increase in
demand for the state’s FAIR plan, which is effectively prohibited from turning away
customers but typically charges higher premiums as a result. In those same 10
highest-risk counties, the number of homeowners getting coverage through that
plan increased 177 percent while staying flat statewide.
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“By not being able to find insurance, you then in turn can’t sell your home. If you
can’t sell your home, then it affects the local property taxes,” said Ricardo Lara,
California’s insurance commissioner. “This is really creating chaos.”
The trade group representing insurers said the fires of the past two years had
compelled companies to reduce their exposure. Whether that pullback is temporary
or permanent depends on what the state does next, according to Rex Frazier,
president of the Personal Insurance Federation of California.
Mr. Frazier said the state should allow insurers to raise rates to better reflect the
full cost of wildfire risk. He also called for more aggressive forest management,
such as controlled burns to remove trees, brush and other fuel for wildfires, as well
as requiring homeowners to keep more space between their houses and the
vegetation around them.
The alternative — continuing to build homes in dangerous areas, combined with
worsening fire conditions and premiums that don’t reflect the true risk of wildfires
— is “not the recipe for a healthy market,” Mr. Frazier said.
Versions of that trend are playing out across the West. In Washington State,
officials have been receiving more complaints from people in wildfire-prone areas
about insurance companies, according to Mike Kreidler, the state’s insurance
commissioner.
“Some companies are starting to re-evaluate their position in certain geographic
areas, largely driven by eastern Washington right now, or at least we think so,” Mr.
Kreidler said.
Page 2 of 4As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull Back From Riskiest Areas - The New York Times
9/6/2019https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/climate/fire-insurance-renewal.html?action=click&m...
D-2
In response to that concern, his office sent a request to insurers in July, asking for
information about whether and how those companies have reduced their coverage
in fire-prone areas. He gave companies until early September to report back.
“Are they continuing to insure at the same levels?” Mr. Kreidler asked. “Are they
backing off on the number of policies they’ll write?”
In Montana, insurers have changed the way they evaluate wildfire risk, according
to Bob Biskupiak, the state’s deputy insurance commissioner.
Decisions that were once made based largely on how quickly a fire department
could reach the property now involve third-party analytics companies, Mr.
Biskupiak said. Those companies examine everything from the surrounding timber
and grass conditions, the slope of the ground, where the prevailing winds come
from and the conditions on nearby land.
“It’s not necessarily the property that’s being evaluated,” Mr. Biskupiak said. “It’s
about where the fire could potentially start.”
Insurers have used that information to be more discriminating about what they
choose to cover. “Company A, B or C has insured me for 10 years — I’ve never had a
loss,” Mr. Biskupiak said, recounting the type of complaint he’s heard. “And then all
of a sudden this year they’re non-renewing me.”
This month his office issued a public notice warning companies against refusing
coverage just because of a wildfire elsewhere in the same ZIP code or county.
“The state auditor’s office has recently received several phone calls and heard from
local officials in Lewis and Clark County that some insurance companies are
denying coverage for homes, cars, and boats due to the North Hills wildfire, even
though the properties weren’t located anywhere near that fire,” the department
wrote.
Colorado has also seen an uptick in complaints, according to Peg Brown, the state’s
deputy insurance commissioner. She said her office was considering instructing
insurers to provide more data on how many people are being dropped, so it can
measure the change.
“It’s a significant issue,” Ms. Brown said. “We’re trying to get a little bit ahead of it.”
Page 3 of 4As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull Back From Riskiest Areas - The New York Times
9/6/2019https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/climate/fire-insurance-renewal.html?action=click&m...
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The question is whether insurers will move back into those areas if their financial
reserves recover and the memory of damage fades, as has sometimes happened
following previous large-scale disasters, according to Dr. Kousky of the Wharton
Risk Center.
She said there’s reason to believe this time is different.
“These perils are changing,” Dr. Kousky said. And if the pullback by insurers
proves lasting, it would require a greater role for governments in financing
reconstruction after disasters, while compelling a shift in where and how we build
homes. “There’s not one solution that would nicely solve this,” she said.
For more news on climate and the environment, follow @NYTClimate on Twitter.
Christopher Flavelle covers climate adaptation, focusing on how people, governments and
@cflavbusinesses respond to the effects of global warming.
A version of this article appears in print on Aug. 20, 2019, Section B, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: As Wildfires
Intensify, Insurers Curtail Coverage in Risky Areas
Page 4 of 4As Wildfires Get Worse, Insurers Pull Back From Riskiest Areas - The New York Times
9/6/2019https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/climate/fire-insurance-renewal.html?action=click&m...
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insurance.ca.gov 800-927-4357
FACT SHEET: Impact of Wildfires on
Insurance Non-Renewals and Availability
The Department of Insurance is seeing an increasing trend across California of the rising toll from extreme
wildfires to lives and property leading to serious insurance availability issues for homeowners and local
communities, especially those located in the wildland urban interface. New data collected from insurers and
compiled by the Department of Insurance shows that homeowners insurance in the voluntary insurance market
is becoming harder to find for many Californians. This data represents 98.3% of the homeowners’ market in
California from insurers that wrote $5 million or more in premium in 2018.
Since 2015, the California Department of Insurance has conducted data calls about insurance non-renewals in
order to understand the impact of extreme wildfires on the homeowners insurance market. Because the 2017
and 2018 wildfires occurred near the end of the year, the effects of these fires on the insurance market appear
in the following year. Therefore, the patterns observed between 2017 and 2018 will be further impacted by the
2018 wildfires but will not be reflected until additional data is collected next year and beyond.
Non-renewals increasing across the wildland urban interface (WUI)
Insurer-initiated homeowner policy non-renewals in State Responsibility Areas grew by 6% from 2017 to 2018 -
- with zip codes affected by the devastating 2015 and 2017 fires seeing a 10% increase in non-renewals.
8,066
7,922 7,981
8,751
7,400
7,600
7,800
8,000
8,200
8,400
8,600
8,800
9,000
2015 2016 2017 2018Non-Renewed Policies(Insurer-Initiated)Insurer-Initiated Non-Renewals from 2015-2018 in
the Voluntary Market for ZIP Codes Affected by the
2015 and 2017 Wildfires
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insurance.ca.gov 800-927-4357
Insurance availability fell in high-risk counties
From 2015-2018, the number of new and renewed policies in the voluntary insurance market fell by 8,700 in
the 10 counties with the most homes in high or very high-risk areas, namely the counties of Tuolumne, Trinity,
Nevada, Mariposa, Plumas, Alpine, Calaveras, Sierra, Amador, and El Dorado, when compared to the five
counties with the least homes at risk, namely the counties of Yolo, Merced, Sutter, Imperial, and Kings. While
this analysis reflects those counties with the highest risk of catastrophic wildfires, the data also shows that non-
renewals can happen in any high-risk area.
2015 2016 2017 2018
Lowest 190,599 193,951 195,379 195,909
Highest 194,158 191,724 188,970 185,446
180,000
182,000
184,000
186,000
188,000
190,000
192,000
194,000
196,000
198,000
New plus Renewed Policies Voluntary Market
Selected Highest and Lowest Fire Risk Counties
Number of New + Renewed Policies
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insurance.ca.gov 800-927-4357
FAIR Plan policies saw major growth in high-risk counties
If California residents cannot obtain insurance on the voluntary market, their only options are to find insurance
coverage under the FAIR Plan or from surplus lines, often at much higher costs. When looking at the 10
counties with the most homes in high or very high-risk areas, there is a steady rise in new FAIR Plan policies
growing 177% between 2015 and 2018. Nearly 57% of the new FAIR Plan policies written are now written in
State Responsibility Areas up from 47% in 2015. Between 2015 and 2018, the number of surplus lines policies
in the State Responsibility Area increased by 49% (from 10,521 to 15,636).
California FAIR Plan
Number of New Policies Written
Calendar
Year
Non-State
Responsibility
Area
State
Responsibility
Area (SRA)
SRA
Percentage
to Total
2018 9,495 12,353 56.5%
2017 10,187 11,830 53.7%
2016 11,679 10,964 48.4%
2015 11,990 10,750 47.3%
2015 2016 2017 2018
Lowest 408 436 401 424
Highest 1,194 1,605 2,395 3,304
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
New plus Renewed PoliciesFAIR Plan
Selected Highest and Lowest Fire Risk Counties
Number of New + Renewed Policies
E-3
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
Number of New, Renewed, and Non-Renewed Homeowners' Policies
1 of 5 August 20, 2019
County Year
Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
Insured-Initiated Insurer-Initiated Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
State 2018 971,809 7,570,711 731,660 167,570 21,848 117,374
2017 987,036 7,558,393 749,470 162,048 22,017 118,295
2016 974,600 7,525,689 727,150 167,359 22,643 118,549
2015 954,687 7,446,707 718,563 174,345 22,740 118,651
ALAMEDA 2018 36,202 316,806 29,088 4,809 275 1,865
2017 36,396 316,739 28,811 4,772 274 1,955
2016 35,897 313,912 27,672 5,136 260 2,081
2015 35,794 310,866 27,941 5,151 298 2,201
ALPINE 2018 61 567 45 11 8 22
2017 64 570 51 11 13 13
2016 42 587 35 15 9 9
2015 52 578 37 13 8 3
AMADOR 2018 1,587 11,786 1,092 327 85 142
2017 1,199 12,214 1,016 328 92 86
2016 1,180 12,588 1,071 453 67 53
2015 1,145 12,951 1,138 397 46 31
BUTTE 2018 7,511 57,183 5,945 1,488 198 239
2017 7,221 57,620 5,777 1,481 135 164
2016 7,461 57,882 5,455 1,647 127 94
2015 6,877 58,201 5,463 1,618 88 42
CALAVERAS 2018 2,407 19,168 1,910 518 309 323
2017 2,092 19,936 1,886 590 256 166
2016 2,037 20,414 1,796 663 113 101
2015 1,976 21,002 1,934 648 66 66
COLUSA 2018 564 4,335 418 119 2 8
2017 576 4,389 445 125 1 8
2016 550 4,415 420 148 5 5
2015 559 4,414 420 147 - 5
CONTRA COSTA 2018 32,271 268,268 25,871 4,265 160 701
2017 33,071 268,122 25,923 4,374 129 745
2016 32,765 265,547 24,824 4,416 156 763
2015 32,443 262,119 24,876 4,718 138 819
DEL NORTE 2018 831 6,368 593 202 8 13
2017 830 6,444 600 234 9 12
2016 851 6,387 567 175 5 13
2015 785 6,437 602 244 7 8
EL DORADO 2018 8,612 61,712 6,155 1,594 400 568
2017 7,790 63,236 6,125 1,417 351 380
2016 7,614 63,511 5,974 1,567 217 299
2015 7,165 63,843 5,797 1,820 205 197
FRESNO 2018 27,889 189,788 20,998 4,233 170 668
2017 27,699 189,703 21,116 4,484 139 641
2016 26,225 188,554 19,391 4,540 120 645
2015 25,537 185,341 18,967 4,685 130 641
GLENN 2018 747 5,889 544 138 - 8
2017 696 5,951 538 173 - 10
2016 753 5,892 561 135 - 10
2015 739 5,895 560 156 - 11
HUMBOLDT 2018 3,777 35,847 2,886 797 65 107
2017 3,614 36,162 2,873 744 65 82
2016 3,513 36,219 2,807 774 51 58
2015 3,508 36,189 2,700 788 28 48
IMPERIAL 2018 3,415 28,515 2,589 885 54 231
2017 3,718 28,345 2,702 856 27 238
Number of Non-renewed Policies
Voluntary Market California FAIR Plan
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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
Number of New, Renewed, and Non-Renewed Homeowners' Policies
2 of 5 August 20, 2019
County Year
Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
Insured-Initiated Insurer-Initiated Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
State 2018 971,809 7,570,711 731,660 167,570 21,848 117,374
2017 987,036 7,558,393 749,470 162,048 22,017 118,295
2016 974,600 7,525,689 727,150 167,359 22,643 118,549
2015 954,687 7,446,707 718,563 174,345 22,740 118,651
Number of Non-renewed Policies
Voluntary Market California FAIR Plan
2016 3,595 28,464 2,513 904 58 243
2015 3,487 28,306 2,458 928 67 227
INYO 2018 568 5,290 385 131 7 30
2017 559 5,291 407 121 7 30
2016 510 5,338 366 117 11 27
2015 474 5,368 346 103 8 24
KERN 2018 29,619 184,673 20,838 6,005 572 1,913
2017 30,135 183,112 21,617 6,052 611 1,866
2016 29,877 180,194 20,310 6,203 523 1,769
2015 27,446 170,644 18,517 6,139 514 1,722
KINGS 2018 3,685 25,928 2,608 658 10 22
2017 3,518 25,912 2,602 644 8 23
2016 3,684 25,436 2,361 715 12 21
2015 3,691 24,822 2,370 673 3 22
LAKE 2018 3,129 20,541 2,103 846 104 187
2017 3,124 20,971 2,262 941 119 156
2016 2,962 21,508 2,412 979 135 105
2015 2,899 21,865 2,297 799 83 66
LASSEN 2018 1,184 9,465 924 285 21 37
2017 1,138 9,716 934 322 20 28
2016 1,156 9,767 849 329 13 22
2015 1,093 9,847 918 285 12 14
LOS ANGELES 2018 179,871 1,550,466 132,697 34,921 9,584 84,014
2017 186,428 1,543,497 137,225 32,627 10,420 87,909
2016 186,629 1,537,094 136,210 32,261 11,774 90,641
2015 186,464 1,522,187 137,770 35,424 12,356 93,519
MADERA 2018 4,637 31,316 3,171 881 97 146
2017 4,376 31,770 3,486 814 84 106
2016 4,342 31,920 3,291 867 56 92
2015 3,842 32,058 3,098 1,000 76 56
MARIN 2018 5,992 64,483 4,716 1,106 75 361
2017 6,142 64,749 4,681 1,108 69 356
2016 6,581 63,913 4,368 1,063 71 359
2015 6,598 63,336 4,797 1,216 69 333
MARIPOSA 2018 468 4,786 338 145 91 123
2017 426 4,918 335 153 69 91
2016 464 5,044 361 155 47 71
2015 408 5,203 435 166 46 52
MENDOCINO 2018 2,560 22,723 1,862 640 108 125
2017 2,458 22,987 1,892 626 79 84
2016 2,483 23,243 1,838 659 64 49
2015 2,749 23,021 1,988 546 29 42
MERCED 2018 7,982 52,282 5,555 1,174 12 45
2017 7,814 51,749 5,834 1,222 10 50
2016 7,513 51,481 5,563 1,312 22 40
2015 6,959 50,811 5,411 1,291 25 37
MODOC 2018 271 2,255 199 66 10 16
2017 240 2,268 219 86 8 12
2016 218 2,328 162 61 3 10
2015 222 2,335 224 73 2 9
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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
Number of New, Renewed, and Non-Renewed Homeowners' Policies
3 of 5 August 20, 2019
County Year
Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
Insured-Initiated Insurer-Initiated Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
State 2018 971,809 7,570,711 731,660 167,570 21,848 117,374
2017 987,036 7,558,393 749,470 162,048 22,017 118,295
2016 974,600 7,525,689 727,150 167,359 22,643 118,549
2015 954,687 7,446,707 718,563 174,345 22,740 118,651
Number of Non-renewed Policies
Voluntary Market California FAIR Plan
MONO 2018 346 4,441 268 84 56 102
2017 395 4,444 332 104 38 82
2016 383 4,526 324 87 37 58
2015 322 4,596 322 92 22 45
MONTEREY 2018 8,484 79,587 6,489 1,466 137 234
2017 8,607 79,840 6,664 1,442 135 179
2016 8,961 79,156 6,475 1,479 104 138
2015 8,535 78,431 6,347 1,575 85 95
NAPA 2018 3,922 35,592 3,229 667 32 74
2017 3,889 35,785 3,001 599 28 64
2016 3,774 35,841 2,904 597 41 46
2015 3,812 35,557 3,011 648 41 31
NEVADA 2018 3,752 36,651 3,099 1,071 235 269
2017 3,507 37,940 3,068 776 176 168
2016 3,884 38,155 3,037 918 110 125
2015 3,825 38,725 3,282 1,118 92 85
ORANGE 2018 68,836 547,407 51,838 10,491 597 2,013
2017 69,641 543,960 53,063 9,853 644 1,907
2016 70,016 540,159 53,258 9,980 680 1,789
2015 67,955 535,314 52,008 10,749 654 1,619
PLACER 2018 17,398 116,675 13,334 2,199 196 247
2017 17,213 116,895 13,535 2,128 154 164
2016 16,633 115,676 13,029 2,146 108 125
2015 16,301 113,935 12,676 2,550 91 74
PLUMAS 2018 892 7,484 672 213 35 57
2017 795 7,752 704 221 31 44
2016 743 7,903 664 237 26 29
2015 742 8,070 670 218 19 15
RIVERSIDE 2018 88,922 520,707 64,787 15,209 1,385 3,518
2017 91,840 514,704 66,657 14,464 1,471 3,126
2016 90,634 510,613 65,627 15,681 1,534 2,780
2015 86,363 503,821 61,998 15,434 1,394 2,436
SACRAMENTO 2018 53,731 353,355 41,778 7,807 126 375
2017 54,490 352,746 43,044 8,217 106 392
2016 53,424 350,177 40,895 8,420 92 429
2015 51,670 345,308 39,324 8,865 101 474
SAN BENITO 2018 1,934 12,429 1,166 224 5 8
2017 1,781 12,126 1,101 237 3 8
2016 1,533 11,882 1,028 217 10 5
2015 1,507 11,628 1,101 204 3 3
SAN BERNARDINO 2018 66,732 437,222 47,393 13,048 3,754 9,263
2017 68,598 434,223 49,736 12,710 3,557 8,213
2016 65,850 434,857 48,914 12,745 3,453 7,209
2015 63,541 432,433 48,017 12,962 3,342 6,038
SAN DIEGO 2018 73,624 610,612 54,644 14,225 1,127 4,258
2017 75,934 610,318 57,874 12,441 1,109 4,062
2016 75,429 609,195 56,543 13,511 1,131 3,838
2015 73,881 603,621 55,003 13,670 1,242 3,429
SAN FRANCISCO 2018 10,083 117,637 8,366 1,329 51 408
2017 10,674 117,731 8,912 1,384 55 424
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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
Number of New, Renewed, and Non-Renewed Homeowners' Policies
4 of 5 August 20, 2019
County Year
Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
Insured-Initiated Insurer-Initiated Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
State 2018 971,809 7,570,711 731,660 167,570 21,848 117,374
2017 987,036 7,558,393 749,470 162,048 22,017 118,295
2016 974,600 7,525,689 727,150 167,359 22,643 118,549
2015 954,687 7,446,707 718,563 174,345 22,740 118,651
Number of Non-renewed Policies
Voluntary Market California FAIR Plan
2016 10,606 117,059 8,423 1,406 51 447
2015 10,949 115,979 8,972 1,565 41 473
SAN JOAQUIN 2018 24,807 157,907 18,427 4,006 42 447
2017 24,966 156,940 19,296 4,116 74 475
2016 24,485 155,927 18,395 4,384 63 488
2015 23,735 153,034 17,400 4,473 77 505
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2018 8,883 78,245 6,565 1,519 68 180
2017 8,892 78,178 6,800 1,330 74 145
2016 9,131 77,853 6,694 1,511 48 118
2015 9,296 76,463 6,477 1,654 50 103
SAN MATEO 2018 13,737 153,339 11,406 1,677 65 164
2017 14,180 153,939 11,627 1,844 76 137
2016 14,221 152,771 11,002 1,896 60 119
2015 14,459 151,728 11,544 1,954 58 104
SANTA BARBARA 2018 9,375 85,785 6,831 1,741 88 420
2017 9,460 85,367 6,937 1,462 67 462
2016 9,486 85,182 6,798 1,701 88 472
2015 9,437 83,941 6,714 1,802 91 462
SANTA CLARA 2018 38,049 353,073 31,284 4,940 122 671
2017 39,033 353,595 31,342 5,087 91 685
2016 37,506 352,550 29,665 5,185 95 726
2015 38,913 349,149 30,998 5,358 96 763
SANTA CRUZ 2018 6,328 69,088 5,118 1,167 159 275
2017 6,446 69,255 5,076 1,237 119 241
2016 6,560 69,033 4,976 1,308 104 213
2015 7,060 68,486 5,260 1,326 139 163
SHASTA 2018 8,549 52,788 6,382 1,485 122 204
2017 7,671 53,627 5,731 1,442 110 145
2016 7,095 54,196 5,265 1,607 77 116
2015 6,764 54,020 5,152 1,342 91 70
SIERRA 2018 136 1,196 100 28 8 21
2017 89 1,255 63 34 7 18
2016 123 1,251 84 36 11 13
2015 100 1,292 126 36 4 11
SISKIYOU 2018 1,919 13,886 1,330 462 49 118
2017 1,748 14,148 1,322 476 53 83
2016 1,586 14,255 1,238 509 46 60
2015 1,548 14,304 1,202 430 43 47
SOLANO 2018 13,279 108,388 10,539 1,620 31 121
2017 13,338 108,349 10,489 1,709 28 123
2016 13,580 107,264 10,070 1,934 41 129
2015 13,301 105,393 9,867 1,948 34 134
SONOMA 2018 14,996 130,250 12,511 2,323 121 189
2017 14,412 131,087 11,203 2,440 85 152
2016 13,947 130,841 10,828 2,232 85 118
2015 13,998 129,912 10,938 2,382 74 90
STANISLAUS 2018 17,496 119,995 13,414 2,851 35 52
2017 17,917 120,081 14,555 2,851 33 43
2016 17,050 120,102 13,467 3,027 40 38
2015 16,869 118,783 13,102 3,160 25 32
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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
Number of New, Renewed, and Non-Renewed Homeowners' Policies
5 of 5 August 20, 2019
County Year
Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
Insured-Initiated Insurer-Initiated Number of New
Policies
Number of
Renewed Policies
State 2018 971,809 7,570,711 731,660 167,570 21,848 117,374
2017 987,036 7,558,393 749,470 162,048 22,017 118,295
2016 974,600 7,525,689 727,150 167,359 22,643 118,549
2015 954,687 7,446,707 718,563 174,345 22,740 118,651
Number of Non-renewed Policies
Voluntary Market California FAIR Plan
SUTTER 2018 3,165 21,448 2,645 536 2 7
2017 3,310 21,423 2,533 545 6 4
2016 3,116 21,478 2,335 575 2 5
2015 2,809 21,372 2,192 494 3 4
TEHAMA 2018 1,907 13,234 1,306 412 17 31
2017 1,847 13,201 1,363 504 18 21
2016 1,729 13,389 1,229 569 15 14
2015 1,691 13,493 1,254 499 6 13
TRINITY 2018 359 4,072 264 120 89 90
2017 371 4,200 282 156 67 62
2016 356 4,310 323 133 43 47
2015 349 4,369 336 109 52 26
TULARE 2018 13,297 91,093 9,450 2,878 130 335
2017 13,340 91,224 9,634 2,733 160 259
2016 12,858 90,911 8,855 2,986 107 201
2015 12,123 89,457 8,508 2,878 73 167
TUOLUMNE 2018 1,862 17,888 1,440 653 185 244
2017 1,464 19,152 1,411 570 137 168
2016 1,955 19,563 1,482 627 84 131
2015 1,558 20,805 1,576 1,076 94 76
VENTURA 2018 21,010 177,840 15,914 3,470 306 987
2017 21,541 177,762 16,403 3,280 278 964
2016 20,932 177,435 16,095 3,035 304 903
2015 20,604 175,856 15,623 3,404 276 838
YOLO 2018 5,190 44,299 4,070 805 11 30
2017 5,511 44,079 4,210 823 3 32
2016 5,500 43,684 4,149 809 14 19
2015 5,212 43,130 4,067 829 4 16
YUBA 2018 2,966 16,398 2,047 594 37 47
2017 2,805 16,358 2,115 521 29 31
2016 2,603 16,462 1,856 564 20 19
2015 2,538 16,313 1,866 507 19 13
It includes aggregated counts on the following: homeowners coverage forms similar to HO-2, HO-3, HO-5 & HO-8, etc., dwelling fire forms
(excluding dwelling fire contents only coverage), landlord business owner policies (residential policies of 4 units or less), and
mobile homes, representing 98.3% of the homeowners market. It excludes HO-4 and HO-6 data.
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