California Risk Map

CAL FIRE rates land as Moderate, High or Very High based on fuel, slope, fire weather and other factors that affect how a fire is likely to behave. The rating describes the long-term hazard of the land, not whether a fire is burning there now. Local maps were recommended by the State Fire Marshal in March 2025, and local agencies adopt them, so confirm the status with the local fire authority.

Zones beginning with A or V are Special Flood Hazard Areas, with a 1% chance of flooding in any year. Federally backed mortgages generally require flood insurance there. Shaded Zone X is moderate risk, unshaded Zone X is minimal risk, and Zone D means flood risk has not been studied. Flooding can still happen in any zone.

The California Geological Survey maps three kinds of zone. An Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone surrounds a fault that could rupture the surface. A liquefaction zone marks loose, wet ground that could lose strength in strong shaking. A landslide zone marks slopes that could fail in an earthquake. Much of California has not been evaluated for liquefaction or landslide zones, so the map says "Not fully evaluated" there rather than suggesting the hazard is absent. Earthquake shaking can cause damage in any zone.

It shows whether the point falls inside a mapped CAL FIRE fire perimeter since 1950, or else the nearest mapped fire within 5 miles in the last 20 years. A perimeter is the outer edge of a fire, so not everything inside it burned. The record is updated once a year and leaves out some fires, so a blank result does not prove the land has never burned.

A hazard zone can change from one street to the next. A ZIP code only gives the center of an area, so the map shows zones for a full street address only. Even then, the result is for one map point, not a property survey.

The default of 25 miles is a common reference point, but there is no single standard. Carriers set their own distance for each event, and they often use 5, 10, 25 or 50 miles, so check the binding notice from the carrier for the fire in question.

When a fire is active nearby, many carriers temporarily stop binding new or increased coverage within a set distance. This is often called a binding restriction or moratorium. It usually ends when the carrier lifts it, not when the fire is contained, so confirm with the carrier before binding.

Weather alerts and earthquakes are checked every minute, and fires every five minutes. Hazard zones and fire history change rarely and are checked monthly. Agencies may post updates later than the event itself, so the map can lag behind what is happening on the ground.