Fire hazard severity zones: State Fire Marshal.

Assembly Member Lackey's fire hazard zone legislation establishes mandatory five-year review cycles for California's fire risk classification system, replacing the current periodic assessment requirements for state and local fire zones.

The bill requires the State Fire Marshal to identify and classify areas as moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zones every five years, using consistent statewide criteria that account for fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and wind patterns. These regular reviews apply to both state responsibility areas and local jurisdictions, with timing designed to align with county general plan updates where feasible. The classification process maintains existing requirements for zones to encompass relatively homogeneous lands while standardizing the evaluation timeline.

The measure preserves current procedures for modifying zone designations and ratings, requiring any changes to adhere to established protocols in the Government and Public Resources Codes. Members of the public retain the ability to petition for revisions or removal of zone designations through existing administrative channels. While the bill creates new timing requirements for reviews, it operates within existing budget allocations and administrative frameworks rather than establishing additional funding or oversight mechanisms.