County Fire and City of Riverside Fire are not the same AHJ. Ordinance 787.11 is county-fire territory, not an automatic city-limits rule. As of September 19, 2026 there is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force. Here is what is Required now, Proposed — not in force, and Recommended now.
Enter your address to check it against the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map. The same check helps show whether you sit in county-fire territory or City of Riverside municipal fire limits. County-level overlays take precedence over the statewide map where one applies.
The honest map
Most county sites in this network tell a story of growing designations. Riverside's story is more interesting, and we tell it straight. The mountain communities and the valley cities carry real, current Very High designations. Meanwhile Palm Springs' Very High acreage fell 84% (from roughly 8,000 acres in 2011 to 1,280 today), and Desert Hot Springs and Palm Desert dropped to zero. Both halves are true, both halves matter, and your parcel's tier is what decides your obligations.
The valley map
San Jacinto Mountains, State Responsibility Area, Riverside County Fire Department. The Cranston Fire (2018) evacuated these communities; assistance programs lead here.
Real, current Very High designations in the valley and basin. Each page states what's confirmed and skips what isn't.
Cities whose Very High acreage dropped to zero in the remap. The change itself is the story, told honestly.
Two counties in one
The San Jacinto high country lives with State Responsibility Area fire reality: the 2018 Cranston Fire evacuated 7,000+ people from Idyllwild, Pine Cove, and Mountain Center. For these communities we lead with assistance programs and free guidance, because preparation shouldn't depend on budget.
The valley and the basin, from Temecula's vineyard hillsides to Hemet and Wildomar, carry growing or substantial designations where the standard compliance path applies: know your tier, fix the first five feet, start with the fence line.
What must I do?
The first five feet is the highest-leverage prevention step. In county-fire territory, Ordinance 787.11 already restricts combustible mulch, firewood, and vegetation under decks for existing buildings with landscape installed before January 1, 2026, and requires non-combustible Zone 0 for new buildings, additions, and new or replacement landscape. Trash and recycling containers and outdoor cushions are Recommended now. Read the local status, or start with fences and gates and landscaping.
Who enforces it?
Your local Authority Having Jurisdiction is the headline. There is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force. Riverside County Fire serves unincorporated mountain communities and contract cities including Wildomar and Palm Desert. City of Riverside has its own municipal fire department; Ordinance 787.11 does not automatically apply there. Hemet, Temecula, and Palm Springs pages on this site name their own departments. Your community's page names yours.
Questions
That is the first question. Riverside County Fire covers unincorporated county and many contract cities. City of Riverside has its own municipal fire department. Ordinance 787.11 applies in county-fire territory, not automatically inside city limits. The 2025 remap also moved Coachella Valley acreage down, so check the parcel.
Not automatically. Ordinance 787.11 is the county fire code. City of Riverside Fire is a separate AHJ. Hemet, Temecula, and Palm Springs pages on this site name their own departments.
As of September 19, 2026 there is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force. The Board of Forestry emergency filing (OAL 2026-0828-03E) was withdrawn September 8, 2026. AB 3074 directed the state to create an ember-resistant zone; that is not a current statewide rule requiring Zone 0 to be kept clear. Existing defensible-space law still applies: PRC section 4291 and Government Code section 51182, plus local defensible-space rules. There is no 2027 to 2028 statewide compliance clock. Local required, proposed, and recommended items are labeled on this site.
Submit your address and we will follow up about which local rules apply to your parcel, what your fire authority will look for, and what an inspection would document.
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