Pasadena fire officials will ask the Public Safety Committee on Wednesday to direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance adopting new state-mandated fire hazard severity zone maps that would designate 4,610 properties as being in “very high” wildfire risk areas — an increase of nearly 700 properties from the current designation.
If the Committee approves, the item will move to the full City Council, where it must be approved for final passage and enactment.
The expanded zones, developed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, represent the first major update since 2008 to maps originally created in 1996. The changes reflect updated science about wildfire behavior following recent devastating fires across California, including January’s Eaton Fire that destroyed thousands of structures in nearby Altadena.
The city faces a tight deadline, having received the official maps on March 24 and required to adopt them within 120 days under state law. Properties in the very high fire severity zone will face stricter building codes, defensible space requirements, and annual fire department inspections. The changes primarily affect areas in the Arroyo Seco, neighborhoods west and north of the 210 freeway, and parts of upper Hastings Ranch.
The committee will also review seven candidates vying for three community-based organization seats on the Community Police Oversight Commission. All applicants have been invited to attend the meeting to give brief statements and answer questions. The appointments carry three-year terms beginning July 1.
The candidates represent: Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, Peace Over Violence, First AME Church, NAACP Pasadena Branch, Gang Outreach Violence and Interruption Services, Islamic Center of Southern California, and Pasadena Senior Center. Current commissioners are term-limited and cannot be reappointed.
Additionally, staff will present an informational report on Assembly Bill 392, California’s 2019 “Act to Save Lives” legislation that raised the legal standard for police use of deadly force from “reasonable” to “necessary.” The Pasadena Police Department proactively trained officers in December 2019, before the law took effect in January 2020.
The committee received eight public comments on the fire hazard zone changes between April 22 and May 30, with residents raising concerns about enforcement costs and insurance impacts.
Meeting Details:
The Public Safety Committee meets Wednesday, June 18, at 4 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249. Residents can attend in person or watch the live stream at pasadenamedia.org. Those wishing to provide public comment must submit a speaker card online at cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment prior to the meeting.
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