The Carlsbad Fire Department relies on a partnership with the community to keep the city safe from wildfire. Our Community Risk Reduction Bureau takes a proactive approach to mitigate hazards within the City of Carlsbad, with our Fire & Life Safety Division conducting annual inspections on privately owned open space, working with homeowners' associations on property maintenance and informing residents about the importance of wildfire prevention.

For more information or to schedule an in-person or virtual presentation, contact the City of Carlsbad Wildfire Risk Mitigation Specialist via email at wildfiremitigation@carlsbadca.gov or by phone at 442-339-2669. 

Enhancing Fire Detection in Carlsbad

On July 29, 2025, the Carlsbad City Council approved a plan to explore the installation of wildfire monitoring cameras on city-owned properties. This initiative is part of a partnership between the Carlsbad Fire Department, Carlsbad Municipal Water District and the University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia program. 
 
ALERTCalifornia is a statewide network of more than 1,100 high-definition wildfire cameras designed to support early detection and provide situational awareness during emergencies. 

Latest Update

Carlsbad’s newest wildfire safety resource is officially up and running. Installed in the La Costa Ridge community in September 2025, this state-of-the-art ALERTCalifornia camera provides real-time visibility to spot wildfires early, speed up response times and enhance coordination during emergencies. 

With new cameras now installed in both San Marcos and Carlsbad, we’re expanding coverage across North County- using smarter technology to monitor, assess, and forecast wildfire conditions, keeping our neighborhoods safer.

Watch the live feed:

• La Costa 1
• La Costa 2

How It Helps
Wildfire cameras provide real-time visibility of wildland areas, allowing emergency responders to detect and monitor fires early, improve response times and 
 
Our Commitment
This project reflects the city’s commitment to public safety and wildfire preparedness, with transparency and community involvement guiding every step of the process.
 
For more information, visit www.alertcalifornia.org.

Fire Hazard Severity Zones

CAL FIRE’s Office of the State Fire Marshal updated the state’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) Maps for Local Responsibility Areas in March 2025, which includes Carlsbad. This is the first update since the city adopted the current maps in 2007. The state updated these maps to more accurately reflect the zones in California that are susceptible to wildfire. 

What are Fire Hazard Severity Zones?

The State Fire Marshal is required to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zones. These designations are determined by a computer model that uses modern science and local climate data to assess factors that have been identified as major causes of wildfire spread such as: vegetation type and density, slope, weather, winds, and historical fire data. The hazard rating in the local responsibility area (LRA) also reflects flame and ember intrusion hazards from adjacent wildlands and from flammable vegetation in the urban area. 

Additional detailed information about the genesis of the maps can be viewed here.

Previous maps only included the very high fire hazard severity zones. The 2025 updated maps now show the moderate and high zones in addition to the very high fire hazard severity zone.

General overview of the City of Carlsbad's adoption process:

1. Maps were transmitted to the local agencies in our region in March 2025.
2. Agencies were given 30 days to make the maps publicly available for review and comment (GC 51178.5).
3. The City of Carlsbad had 120 days to adopt these maps by ordinance (GC 51179). The ordinance to adopt the maps was presented to City Council for consideration at the June 10, 2025, meeting followed by final adoption on June 17.
4. Local agency may not decrease the level of fire hazard severity zone as identified by the State Fire Marshal for any area.
5. The ordinance went into effect 30 days after it is adopted.

Government Code 51178.5 requires each local agency to make the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map available for public review and comment. Feedback was gathered through April 23, 2025, to be shared with the California Board of Forestry & Fire Protection.

Is your property in a Fire Hazard Zone?

How to use this map:

• Search for an address: Click the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner and enter an address to identify a property’s fire hazard severity zone.
• Compare hazard zones: Use the slider on the left to toggle across hazard zones and see what's changed. Slide right to view 2007 zones and left to view 2025 zones.

Potential impacts on property owners

The zones for several purposes, including the designation of areas where defensible space standards and ignition-resistant building construction codes are required. The specific requirements for properties depend on the zone that a property is located in.

Requirements for buildings in the very high fire hazard severity zone:

• New buildings will require a buffer of 100 feet of defensible space
• New buildings will need to meet construction requirements for exterior wildfire exposure which includes ignition-resistant construction (Chapter 7A of the California Building Code)
• Natural Hazard Real Estate Disclosures will be required at the time of sale of property

Requirements for buildings in the high hazard fire severity zone:

• New buildings will need to meet construction requirements for exterior wildfire exposure which includes ignition-resistant construction (Chapter 7A of the California Building Code)
• Natural Hazard Real Estate Disclosures will be required at time of sale of property
• Defensible space requirements do not currently apply in the high hazard severity zone

Requirements for buildings in the moderate hazard fire severity zone:

• Currently, there are no requirements for the moderate hazard severity zone.

What to do if your property is in a Fire Hazard Zone

There are things you can do to protect your home and neighborhood as well as your family’s safety. 

The national Firewise USA recognition program provides a collaborative framework to help neighbors in a geographic area get organized, find direction, and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community and to reduce wildfire risks at the local level. Any community that meets a set of voluntary criteria on an annual basis and retains an “In Good Standing Status” may identify itself as being a Firewise Site. 

Protecting your property from wildfires

Protect your home from wildfires through these recommended actions:

1. Creating defensible space
2. Hardening your home
   • Install ember-resistant vents and fireproof roofing materials.
   • Ensure windows are dual-paned with tempered glass.
3. Selecting fire-smart plants
   • Plant drought-tolerant and fire-resistant plants.
   • Avoid highly flammable species like junipers and cypress at least 30 feet from the structures.
4. Have an emergency plan
   1. Create a family evacuation plan.
   2. Build an emergency kit.
   3. Stay informed by signing up for emergency notifications.

Additional resources

• Working Together to Minimize Wildfire Risk
• Ember awareness
• Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide
• Ready for Wildfire

Request a Home Hardening & Defensible Space Inspection

Overview

California Civil Code 1102.19 requires the seller of a property located in a 'High' or 'Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone' (VHFSZ) to provide documentation that the property complies with the wildfire protection measures set forth within government codes and/or local vegetation management guidelines. This inspection and documentation requirement applies to homes in the High or VHFSZ. 

California Civil Code 1102.19 requires the seller of a property located in a 'High' or 'Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone' (VHFSZ) to provide documentation that the property complies with the wildfire protection measures set forth within government codes and/or local vegetation management guidelines. This inspection and documentation requirement applies to homes in the High or VHFSZ. 

If your property meets the criteria for an inspection: 

• Please complete the Home Hardening & Defensible Space Inspection Request Form and submit to firepreventionpublic@carlsbadca.gov
• We will contact you to schedule the inspection.
• A fee of $180 will be charged at the time of scheduling. Full payment is required before the inspection.
• Please schedule inspections at least 48 hours in advance.

Requirements

A Fire Inspector will complete an inspection of the property and provide documentation of compliance based on the City of Carlsbad’s vegetation clearance requirements. 

The following items will be assessed:

• Cut and remove all dead or dying portions of trees located adjacent to or overhanging any building 
• Remove that portion of any tree which extends within 10 feet of the outlet of any chimney or stove pipe 
• Maintain the roof of any structure free of leaves, needles, or other dead vegetative growth 
• Remove all dead or dying plant material throughout the property 
• Cut annual weeds and grasses below 4 inches 
• Establish horizontal and vertical separation between trees and shrubs (refer to the City of Carlsbad Landscape Manual, section 5 for requirements)

If your property does not pass inspection: 

You will receive a notice of non-compliance and the inspector will explain why you do not meet these standards. Follow-up action can be either:

• The seller will perform the necessary vegetation management and have the property inspected again before escrow to receive a documentation of compliance or
• If the seller has not obtained documentation of compliance, the seller and buyer must enter into a written agreement whereby the buyer agrees to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of close of escrow.

Contact

For questions or inquiries contact the City of Carlsbad Wildfire Risk Mitigation Specialist at wildfiremitigation@carlsbadca.gov.

Frequently asked questions