Security
Fire Risk
In March the State Fire Marshall released fire hazard maps for Trilogy that show more than 1100 homes having high or very high fire hazard ratings. These ratings are not correct. If not corrected this can affect home values and members are concerned that insurance companies in the future may use these maps when determining home fire insurance. If a home has a very high fire hazard rating, there are California fire safety requirements that will require people to make changes to the landscape around their homes. These requirements will be finalized in December.
There is a link below that you can use to find the fire hazard rating for your home.
While homes that are close to eucalyptus trees in the butterfly habitat or along the border areas of Trilogy may have a higher fire hazard rating than other homes, the fire maps for most homes in Trilogy are not correct. The State Fire Marshal's fire maps used 2015 data and updated the maps with 2022 and 2023 information. This was not done correctly for Trilogy. In Trilogy the last eucalyptus forest was removed in 2016 and replaced by homes. The fire map's vegetation information for this area lists large sections as wildlands with eucalyptus trees and uses this to determine fire hazard.
The 2022 Google earth map below outlines the high and very high fires hazard areas and shows that there was no wildland eucalyptus forest, only homes and vineyards.
Correcting Fire Hazard Maps
A resident who worked for a county in California using this type of data reviewed the vegetation information on the State Farm Marshal’s website used to determine fire hazard in Trilogy and contacted the State Fire Marshall to let them know the map was not correct. The Fire Marshal declined to look into the issue. He brought this up at a SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting and Jimmy Paulding, our District Supervisor, told us at the Trilogy Townhall that the Board of Supervisors contacted the State Fire Marshal and were told that the State Fire Marshal does not review their maps based on requests from local governments. Jerry Paulding recommended that we contact our state representatives.
People outside Trilogy have complained about the state fire map accuracy in other areas. We need to draw attention to this and make sure the maps for Trilogy are corrected. Please contact our state representatives as Supervisor Paulding has recommended (contact information is below). The more people we have that draw attention to this the better.
Google Earth Map from 2022
The State Fire map should agree with this 2022 map from Google Earth. Fire Hazard ratings should be based on homes with controlled and irrigated landscapes, not eucalyptus forests.
Homes in the yellow top area have a high fire hazard rating.
Homes in the red bottom area have a very high fire hazard rating.
You can use this link Cal Fire Hazard Severity Zones to determine the fire hazard rating for your home. Go to the section: Explore Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Summary
The state fire map was not updated with correct 2022 / 2023 information. It assumes that large sections of Trilogy are a wildland eucalyptus forest and uses this to determine home fire hazard. The eucalyptus forest was removed in 2016 and replaced with homes. This error affects home values and, in the future, people are concerned that insurance companies will use the state fire hazard rating when determining insurance rates. This could affect more than 1000 homes. The State Fire Marshall needs to use correct information when they determine fire hazard.
State Representatives Contact Information
Sacramento office: (916) 319-2037, Santa Maria Office: (805) 346-1237
Sacramento office: (916) 651-4021, Santa Maria Office: (805) 346-2845
If you wish to get updates please email us at: tspcmonarchdunes@gmail.com and please add to your address book.
If your neighbors are interested in getting updates, please have them contact us. As stated, while we are a charter club, we do not collect dues. Our focus is to provide information.
There is more information about the fire hazard maps at https://monarchdunes.org/fhsz
