(File Photo: 2003 Cedar Fire. scrippsranch.org.)
California has remapped fire hazard zones for the first time in 20 years. And the number of acres at the highest risk level in San Diego County has jumped 300 percent. The maps are intended as a guide to reduce the loss of lives and property from wildfire. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.
Roughly 80-percent of the 1.2-million-acres of land the state is responsible for in San Diego County is in the very high hazard category. That's one result of the remapping of state fire hazard zones. The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is in charge of producing the maps. June Iljana with CalFire says the maps consider several factors in determining hazard zones, including vegetation, weather and fire history.
Iljana: And fire history in San Diego County is strong. Obviously areas that we've rated as very high have a pretty frequent burn history.
She says the county's steep hillsides and canyons also increase fire hazard. California law requires that maps identify areas facing moderate, high or very high fire hazard. New state building codes take effect next year requiring the use of more fire-resistant materials for new construction within the map area. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.