Fire safety: fire hazard severity zones: State Fire Marshal.

Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's fire safety legislation modifies how California's State Fire Marshal classifies and reviews fire hazard severity zones, establishing new parameters for stakeholder engagement while maintaining objective classification criteria. The bill prohibits the use of risk mitigation activities in determining fire hazard severity zones, instead requiring classifications to be based solely on factors such as fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and wind patterns.

Between official review periods, the State Fire Marshal may now consult with public agencies, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders regarding actions that could affect an area's fire hazard designation. These entities can submit information about wildfire safety improvements and planned actions for consideration in future zone reviews. The legislation requires all written responses and documentation from these consultations to be posted publicly on the State Fire Marshal's website. To offset administrative costs, the State Fire Marshal may charge fees to entities participating in these consultations or submitting information for review.

The changes apply to both state responsibility areas and other lands under the State Fire Marshal's purview, creating a consistent framework for fire hazard severity zone classifications throughout California. This standardized approach maintains the existing periodic review process while adding formal mechanisms for stakeholder input and information sharing between reviews.