For City Council Meeting June 24, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tanya Williams, City Manager
AUTHOR: Chris Jensen, Fire Marshal
Title
Request City Council to Conduct the Public Hearing and consider Ordinance No. 1700 Adopting Updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps for the City of Rialto.
POWERPOINT
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Conduct a public hearing to receive public testimony regarding the adoption of the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps;
2. Introduce and adopt an ordinance designating updated Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the City of Rialto, as recommended by the California State Fire Marshal; and,
3. Authorize staff to transmit the adopted ordinance and maps to the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within 30 days, as required by Government Code § 51179.
BACKGROUND
On March 24, 2025, the California State Fire Marshal released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps for San Bernardino County, including the City of Rialto. Per Government Code § 51179 and Public Resources Code § 4202, local jurisdictions are required to adopt these maps by ordinance within 120 days of release. To comply with this requirement, the City Council set a public hearing date for June 24, 2025, to consider the adoption of the updated maps.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The updated FHSZ maps reflect current wildfire risk modeling and help guide appropriate land use planning, building code enforcement, and fire mitigation standards. The maps designate areas of Moderate, High, and Very High fire hazard risk. The updated designations will apply to new development projects in those areas and will trigger compliance with California Building Code Chapter 7A related to fire-resistant construction materials and defensible space requirements.
The updated maps do not impact existing developments, including those that already meet Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) standards. However, new construction or major improvements in High and Very High zones will be subject to these updated standards moving forward.
The Fire Department conducted extensive outreach, including a presentation to the Economic Development Committee on May 29, 2025, a virtual town hall with the Fire Marshal, and public engagement across social media platforms to ensure residents were informed and had opportunities to ask questions.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action does not constitute a “project” under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and is therefore exempt from environmental review pursuant to Guidelines in Section 15060(c)(3).
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The City of Rialto General Plan establishes various guiding principles, goals and objectives through which the City looks to improve the community and protect the quality of life for our residents. This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Approval of the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps also complies with the following City of Rialto General Plan Goals and Policies:
Goal 5-3: Increase the City’s fire protection capabilities and implement fire prevention regulations and standards that minimize potential fire hazards and fire losses.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's Office has reviewed the staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
There is no impact to the Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact to the Capital Improvement Budget.