State Responsibility Area Five-Year Review

State Responsibility Areas (SRA) are recognized by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as areas where Cal Fire is the primary emergency response agency responsible for fire suppression and prevention.

This classification system, which defines land for which the state assumes primary financial responsibility for protecting natural resources from damages from fire, is based on existing law (PRC 4125-4128). The system is not based on the ability to protect an area from fire, but rather on the vegetative cover and natural resource values enumerated in PRC 4126:

1. a) Lands covered wholly or in part by forests or by trees producing or capable of producing forest products. Lands covered wholly or in part by timber, brush, undergrowth, or grass, whether of commercial value or not, which protect the soil from excessive erosion, retard runoff of water or accelerate water percolation, if such lands are sources of water which is available for irrigation or for domestic or industrial use.
2. b) Lands in areas which are principally used or useful for range or forage purposes, which are contiguous to the lands described in subdivisions (a) and (b).

Lands which do not qualify as SRA are defined in PRC Section 4127: “The Board shall not include within state responsibility areas any of the following lands:

1. a) “Lands owned or controlled by the federal government or any agency of the federal government.
2. b) “Lands within the exterior boundaries of any city.
3. c) “Any other lands within the state which do not come within any of the classes which are described in Section 4126.”

In addition, PRC, Section 4128, states that, “The Board may, for purposes of administrative convenience, designate roads, pipelines, streams, or other recognizable landmarks as arbitrary boundaries.”

The SRA boundary is evaluated every five years based on the above definitions.

SRA Viewer

The State Responsibility Area Viewer allows users to view the existing (as of 12/31/2024) and proposed 2025 SRA spatial distribution at different scales and in different areas of the state. It can also be used to search a specific address to help determine if a property is within SRA boundaries.

Instructions: Enter your complete address including zip code in the search box at the top right corner of the map... Example: 2700 Muir Wy, Sacramento CA 95818 
Use your mouse to move the location of the map. You can use the + and – or your mouse wheel to zoom in and out.

Legend: Lands shadowed by a yellow overlay are with State Responsibility Area.

Click Here to launch SRA Viewer

 

Proposed 2025 Changes and Public Comment

Public comments on the proposed 2025 changes are being accepted through the end of the day on Sunday, March 9, 2025. The Board will hold a public hearing at their regularly scheduled meeting on March 5, 2025, for those would like to provide public comment in person in Sacramento.

Comments may be sent via email or postal mail; only one method of submission is necessary.

Email: publiccomments@bof.ca.gov

Postal: Board of Forestry and Fire Protection 
P.O. Box 944246 
Sacramento, CA 94244 

It is expected that the Board will approve or deny the proposed changes at their April 9 meeting in Sacramento. The proposed changes will take effect on July 1, 2025.

 

DISCLAIMER

This data viewer is provided as a service to assist landowners in determining if their property may fall within an SRA area. SRA boundaries were adopted by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection in January 2011, and updated on July 1, 2016.

By accessing this data, you agree to the following terms and conditions: The data and map provided show an estimated location by physical address. The State of California, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors, make no claims, promises, guarantees, representations or warranties, express or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, nor represent that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. This data viewer is provided as a service to assist landowners in determining if their property may fall within State Responsibility Area (SRA).

Due to the nature of this map, some users may experience accessibility issues. If you experience any issues, please contact the board at (916) 653-8007 for direct assistance.