ORD 624 Fire Hazard Severity ZonesORDINANCE NO. 624
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONES AS RECOMMENDED BY THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE
PROTECTION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 51178
WHEREAS, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE),
pursuant to Government Code Section 51178, has developed updated Fire Hazard
Severity Zone (FHSZ) (Exhibit A) maps for areas within Local Responsibility Areas
(LRAs); and
WHEREAS, Government Code Sections 51175 through 51189 require local
jurisdictions to adopt the FHSZ maps by ordinance, and to enforce the building standards
for new structures in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones as established in the
California Building Code and California Fire Code; and
WHEREAS, adoption of the FHSZ map will help the City reduce the risk of wildfire
through updated planning and building standards and enable better protection of life,
property, and natural resources; and
WHEREAS, the City of La Quinta desires to adopt the FHSZ map as
recommended by CAL FIRE to comply with state law and to ensure the health, safety,
and welfare of the community.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of La Quinta does ordain as
follows:
SECTION 1. ADOPTION AND DESIGNATION. The City of La Quinta hereby adopts
and designates the Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the City as recommended by the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and presented in the enclosed map
as Exhibit A, incorporated herewith by this reference, and titled:
“City of La Quinta Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map,”
as maintained and published by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
This map is incorporated by reference and shall serve as the official FHSZ designation
within the Local Responsibility Area for the City of La Quinta.
SECTION 2. AVAILABILITY OF THE MAP. The official Fire Hazard Severity Zones map
is available for public review:
In the Office of the City Clerk, City of La Quinta, located at 78-495 Calle Tampico,
La Quinta, CA 92253; and
Electronically on the City’s official website at:
https://www.laquintaca.gov/our-city/city-departments/public-safety/fire-department/office-of-the-fire-marshal/office-of-the-fire-marshal
Ordinance No. 624
Adopting Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Adopted: June 17, 2025
Page 2 of 3
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty
(30) days after its adoption.
SECTION 4. POSTING: The City Clerk shall, within 15 days after passage of this
Ordinance, cause it to be posted in at least three public places designated by resolution
of the City Council (Resolution No. 2022-027), shall certify to the adoption and posting of
this Ordinance, and shall cause this Ordinance and its certification, together with proof of
posting to be entered into the permanent record of Ordinances of the City of La Quinta.
SECTION 5. RECITALS: The Recitals set forth above are incorporated herein and made
an operative part of this Ordinance.
SECTION 6. CEQA: The City Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is exempt
from the California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code Section 21000 et
seq. (“CEQA”) and implementing regulations, California Code of Regulations, Title 14,
Section 15000 et seq. (“CEQA Guidelines”), as it is not a “Project” as defined by CEQA.
(CEQA Guidelines, § 15060(c)(3).) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(a), a
“Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct
physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change
in the environment. The requested action is to update the Fire Hazard Severity Zone
(FHSZ) map as required by State law and, and, as there is no direct or indirect physical
change to the environment by the adoption of the Ordinance, the proposed action is not
a “Project” under CEQA (CEQA Guidelines, § 15060(c)(2)). Even if the requested action
were a “Project,” it is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15307 and 15308 [Class
7 and Class 8], as the adoption of the Ordinance is an action taken by the City as required
by State law to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of natural
resources, and to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, and protection of
the environment, where, as here, the State’s regulatory process involves procedures for
protection of the natural resources and environment subject to fire hazards. Finally, the
requested action is exempt from CEQA under the “common sense” exemption (CEQA
Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3)), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that
the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.
SECTION 8. SEVERABILITY: If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this Ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall
not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby
declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each and every section,
subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the
fact that any one or more section, subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses,
phrases, or portions thereof be declared unconstitutional.
Ordinance No. 624
Adopting Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Adopted: June 17, 2025
Page 3 of 3
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED, at a regular meeting of th e La Quinta City
Council h eld th is 11 th day of June, 2025, by th e following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Fitzpatrick, McGarrey, Pena, Sanchez, and Mayor Evans
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
ATTEST:
MONIKA RAD VA, . Clerk
City of La Quinta, California
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
�� LINDA EVANS, Mayor
City of La Quinta, California
W_:U��� WILLIAM H. IHRKE, City A ttorney --------
City of La Quinta, California
City and County boundaries as of 10/22/24 (CA Board of Equalization)
CAL FIRE State Responsibility Areas (SRA25_1)
CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZSRA23_3, FHSZLRA_25_1)
Data Sources:
Daniel Berlant, State Fire Marshal, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Joe Tyler, Director/Fire Chief, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Wade Crowfoot, Secretary for Natural Resources, CA Natural Resources Agency
Gavin Newsom, Governor, State of CaliforniaThe State of California and the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection make no representations or warranties regarding the
accuracy of data or maps. Neither the State nor the Department shall
be liable under any circumstances for any direct, special, incidental,
or consequential damages with respect to any claim by any user or
third party on account of, or arising from, the use of data or maps.
and other relevant factors including areas where winds
have been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshal
as a major cause of wildfire spread.
statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is
expected to prevail in those areas. Moderate, high, and very high fire
hazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather,
Government Code section 51178 requires the State Fire
Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high,
and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent
Waterbody
Federal Responsibility
Area (FRA)Unzoned LRA
Incorporated City
Projection: NAD 83 California Teale Albers
Scale: 1:75,000 at 11" x 17"
0 1 2 3 4 5 6Km
0 1 2 3Mi
Very High High Moderate
High Moderate
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) in Local Responsibility
Area (LRA), as Identified by the State Fire Marshal
La Quinta
111
8NINC2RP2RATED
RI9ERSIDE C2.
C2ACHELLA
INDIAN
WELLS
INDI2
PALM DESERT
March 24, 2025
As Identified by the
State Fire MarshalLocal Responsibility Area
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
CITY OF LA QUINTA – RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Fire Hazard Severity Zones in State Responsibility
Area (SRA), Effective April 1 , 2024
2rdinance No. 624
Adopted: -une 17, 2025
E;HIBIT A
Ordinance No. 624
Adopting Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Adopted: June 17, 2025
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.
CITY OF LA QUINTA )
I, MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk of the City of La Quinta, California, do hereby certify the
foregoing to be a full, true, and correct copy of Ordinance No. 624 which was introduced
at a regular meeting on the 3rd day of June, 2025, and was adopted at a regular
meeting held on the 17th day of June, 2025, not being less than 5 days after the date of
introduction thereof.
I further certify that the foregoing Ordinance was posted in three places within the City
of La Quinta as specified in the Rules of Procedure adopted by City Council Resolution
No. 20fo0tni MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
City of La Quinta, California
DECLARATION OF POSTING
I, MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk of the City of La Quinta, California, do hereby certify that
the foregoing ordinance was posted on the 18 th day of June, 2025, pursuant to Council
Resolution 2022-027.
MONIKA RADEVA, . y Clerk
City of La Quinta, California