San Diego, CA
New fire hazard map reveals risks in La Jolla and beyond
Several areas of La Jolla are identified as having “very high” fire hazards in a new assessment by Cal Fire, the first new map since 2011 laying out fire hazard zones across the state.
Soledad Natural Park, La Jolla Heights Natural Park, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and UC San Diego were areas of La Jolla given the highest level of concern.
The new map ranks hazard zones as “moderate,” “high” or “very high,” rather than just “very high,” as in years past.
Cal Fire’s interactive Fire Hazard Severity Zone map is available online atbit.ly/3G8CzSM. Users can toggle among ZIP codes to see their community.
Key differences in La Jolla between the 2011 and 2025 maps include an expansion of the “very high” hazard zones to La Jolla Heights Natural Park all the way to the coast. In 2011, that area was unmarked.
Some portions of the UC San Diego area were downgraded to “high” and “moderate” risk, while areas like Cliffridge Park did not receive a classification on the updated map.
On the other hand, the Soledad Natural Park area saw a marked increase in “high risk” designations.
The total amount of designated acreage in La Jolla is not available, as it is grouped with San Diego County at large.
Cal Fire studied several factors in drawing the map, including types of vegetation, slope, climate and fire history.
In wildland areas, the agency considers potential spread and intensity. In non-wildland areas, it also calculates tree cover, the possible number of embers and where they are likely to land due to wind patterns, according to Cal Fire.
Areas with similar slopes and flammability are grouped into zones. Two main factors are considered — burn probability and expected fire behavior under extreme conditions. The probability of fire, combined with potential flame length, indicate which areas are most hazardous.
Dave Sapsis, Cal Fire research manager for the Fire and Resource Assessment Program, said the three-level classification system, “not unlike a report card,” is “sort of an expansion of the program and mapping into cities, which is just going to be different no matter what. I think that actually is important because it reflects, fundamentally, the influence of likelihood.”
While the maps indicate hazard risk, “at this juncture, we don’t have the capacity to understand how to predict structure ignition,” Sapsis said. ”It’s just a hazard model, and it’s best referred to as such.”
San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, said he’s glad to see updated maps “based on more substantial data than has been used in the past” and reflecting the nuances between “very high,” “high” and “moderate” hazard zones.
“It has a dual purpose,” LaCava said. “One, it is for public awareness. But also [it] will help guide the city of San Diego’s efforts.”
LaCava has heard constituents raise concerns about fire safety, including at his March 5 town hall meeting in La Jolla, which pushed a group of local residents to pursue formation of a La Jolla Fire Safe Council, a community preparedness and prevention organization comparable to a Neighborhood Watch for crime.
Is it time for a Fire Safe Council in La Jolla?
“I think folks might be more aware of what is unique about District 1, and that is all the natural open space we have,” LaCava said. “The timing of this is very interesting, because I think with the tragic fires in L.A., there is a much more heightened awareness of where the risk is and living in proximity to these open space areas.”
LaCava encourages residents to take steps to protect their properties against fires, have a strategy in case of a natural disaster, work with neighbors to clear debris and other ignition risks and notify the city of any open space concerns.
La Jolla Shores Association President John Pierce, who lives just outside a pair of “very high” hazard zones, raised concerns about Mount Soledad’s brush hazards. After viewing the new map, he said the hazard severity zones align with the community’s concerns.
Pierce, who volunteered to be a board member for a potential La Jolla Fire Safe Council, said the map reinforces a need for stricter building codes for fire resistance, regular brush clearance, adequate water infrastructure and built-in fire breaks.
He also emphasized the importance of collaboration and preparedness among neighboring communities, especially if a fire is “a hop, skip and a jump” away from areas outside the hazard zones.
“It will affect us all,” he said. “Fires will not adhere to these boundaries, so it is still a concern for all of those that live adjacent to Mount Soledad.”
What’s being done in La Jolla and beyond to prevent wildfires
Though a barrage of wildland fires earlier this year ignited safety concerns across San Diego County, the new countywide map indicates a decrease in acreage with “very high” fire hazards, compared with 2011.
According to Cal Fire, San Diego County has 157,338 acres with that hazard level, below the 2011 figure of more than 180,700 acres.
On the state level, however, more than 1 million acres under local jurisdictions were given “very high” hazard ratings — an increase from more than 860,000. Areas in Los Angeles County, which was hardest hit by this year’s wildfires, saw increases of 30%.
The main use for the maps, Cal Fire Capt. Jim McDougald told The San Diego Union-Tribune, is for planning new homes. Building a home in a “very high” severity zone, for example, would necessitate complying with construction and materials standards under Chapter 7A of the California Building Code.
Additional standards apply to water supply, road widths and entry and exit paths. Home sellers must make disclosures about the fire hazard.
Is La Jolla ready for a wildfire? A look at evacuation routes and safety measures just in case
Alma Lowry, a captain and community resource officer with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said the maps are “a very handy tool” in the city’s risk-reduction efforts.
“There’s such far advances in mapping, with satellites and drones and everything that’s out there, that we’re getting a lot of really great content,” Lowry said. “And the mapping is getting better every year they redo them.”
The new map may not come as a surprise to people in the heavily impacted areas, however.
“A lot of people that live in the high-severity zones already know they live in high-severity zones,” Lowry said.
Sapsis said he expects the mapping updates to become more common.
“We’ve got a model and there’s so much attention on these maps,” he said. “It’s obvious the L.A. fires have influenced the level of focus and interest in the maps. Our intent is to have this on a regular update cycle as we streamline the data and the workflow for the model.”
— San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Christian Martinez contributed to this report. ♦
Originally Published:
Global entertainment company Webtoon is returning to the hallowed halls of San Diego Comic-Con with a larger-than-life slate of panels featuring top talent and fresh announcements.
They will be shining the spotlight on some of today’s most engaging webcomic creators, including Derek V. Song (Fantasy High) and Punko (Cinderella Boy).
Let’s take a look at their schedule:
Thursday, July 23 – 10am – Room 29AB
Creature Craft: Visionaries of Horror Comics Share Their Secrets
This panel features Punko, creator of Stagtown and Cinderella Boy on WEBTOON; Cullen Bunn, creator of Ripcord and Deluge for Ignition Press; and Cat Staggs, co-creator of Death Mask, and artist on Tales for a HalloweeNight for Storm King Comics. Rotem Rusak, Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist, will moderate.
Friday, July 24 – 10am – Room 32AB
Love in Every Universe: The Great Romance Trope Debate
Join ROSEOAK, creator of Not So Silent on WEBTOON, Alessandra Ferreri, Head of Content at Wattpad, E.M. Wilson, author of Situationship, and Becca Erin Title, founder of Meet Cute Romance Bookshop. The panel is moderated by Crystal Bell, the Culture Editor at Mashable.
Friday, July 24 – 1pm – Room 32AB
Adapting Fantasy High for WEBTOON with Derek V. Song
Featuring Derek V. Song, writer of Fantasy High. Fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at adapting the beloved Dimension 20 series for WEBTOON and learn more about bringing the world of Fantasy High to a new visual format.
Saturday, July 25 – 11:30am – Room 24ABC
What’s Next from WEBTOON Entertainment
Featuring Ryan Lee, Head of Content at WEBTOON; Sydney Bright, Head of Global Animation at WEBTOON Productions; Erik Kozura, Producer at WEBTOON; ROSEOAK, creator of Not So Silent; Derek V. Song, writer of Fantasy High; Punko, creator of Stagtown and Cinderella Boy; and Ucheomaaa, creator of Vibe Check! on WEBTOON. Journalist, comic critic, and 2026 Eisner judge, Tiffany Babb, will moderate. his panel will deliver a slew of announcements, exclusive first looks, and Creator appearances from its platform and entertainment businesses. Additionally, the panel will give fans a window into what’s next from WEBTOON’s most exciting stories and projects, with news from WEBTOON Originals, WEBTOON Productions, WEBTOON Unscrolled, and more.
Beachgoers in one Southern California town had to run for their lives after two massive sea lions came out of the ocean and onto the beach in San Diego.
In a video posted July 7 on Instagram, Dion Ruzicka captured the terrifying moment the two giant sea creatures hit the shore and began chasing people at the beach on a sunny California day.
One sea lion suddenly charged at stunned beachgoers, barreling across the sand as terrified visitors shrieked and sprinted away while the barking beast gave chase.
Moments later, a second sea lion joined the chaos, sending panicked crowds scrambling for higher ground — and even into the surf — to escape the pair’s path.
The more people ran, the more determined the hefty marine mammals seemed, waddling after the fleeing beachgoers in a bizarre game of chase.
“Oh my God,” one person could be heard saying, in the midst of the chaotic scramble.
It didn’t matter whether the visitor was young or old, the sea lion just kept chasing them. Finally, both animals dived back into the ocean and swam away at a quick pace.
It is not the first time such an encounter has happened in the popular La Jolla spot. A year ago, a video showed a pair of sea lions chasing beachgoers around before finally leaving.
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San Diego has warned the public about the potential dangers of going near wildlife living in the area.
“With the increase in the sea lion population, Point La Jolla has become a popular tourist destination for the public to view these wild animals close up,” a message on the city’s website read.
As a result, interactions between sea lions and the public have increased.
“Members of the public have been observed trying to touch, take selfies, and get as close to sea lions as possible which is a dangerous situation for both the public and the animals,” it added.
Officials suggest people watch the animals from the boardwalk and keep their distance from the sea lions.
While it is unclear what lead to Tuesday’s chase, the summer months are pupping season for these ocean animals. Mothers and fathers become protective of their young ones, and will display aggressive behavior, if they sense a threat, per officials.
“These interactions are not only dangerous for both humans and wildlife, it may be a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act which helps to safeguard these animals,” the city said.
The California Post has reached out to the La Jolla Parks and Beaches group for further comment.
San Diego’s most beloved neighborhoods, like North Park, Golden Hill and Sherman Heights, were built by people who needed a place to live and found one. But the bungalows, fourplexes and cottages that gave working San Diegans a foothold in those neighborhoods can hardly be built anywhere else in the city.
Rules written decades ago banned them. For 70 years, San Diego has been paying for that mistake in the form of a city its own workforce can no longer afford to live in.
Neighborhood Homes for All of Us is the city’s plan to fix that: family-sized townhomes, rowhouses and small duplexes built in the neighborhoods where San Diegans most want to live.
While San Diego rents are softening as new apartments are built, the cost of buying a home is not moving, and it won’t, because the rental and ownership markets run on entirely separate tracks. Renters benefit when more rentals are built, forcing landlords to compete for them.
However, a family trying to buy a home benefits only if more homes are available for sale. San Diego home prices now exceed nine times the median household income, among the worst ratios in the nation, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Building rental housing is important, but it does not change the math for a buyer.
The homes that would change it — family-sized, on the ownership track, in the neighborhoods where people most want to raise children — have been illegal to build for decades. San Diego produced roughly 7,000 condos and townhomes a year in 2005. By 2022, that number had collapsed below 500. Part of that drop is because of litigation rules that drove up insurance costs for builders, caps on pre-sales that finance these projects and high fees. Another major reason is that we simply do not allow starter homes on smaller lots. So, instead, builders default to rentals because that’s what current rules allow them to build profitably.
London Moeder Advisors, a San Diego real estate economics firm, finds that eliminating the city’s large-lot-size mandates could produce new townhomes at 42% less cost than surrounding single-family homes without taxpayer subsidies. While this price point is still high for many, it’s more attainable for young families starting out. And importantly, the price could drop further if the state advances reforms to address litigation rules and pre-sale caps that drive up costs.
The city’s program is also focused on adding homes in San Diego’s neighborhoods with the best-performing schools and most accessible jobs. These are also the neighborhoods with the most restrictive regulations on smaller starter homes. A teacher whose classroom is in La Jolla cannot afford to live there. A firefighter stationed in Mission Hills commutes from Santee. The homes that would let them stay are currently illegal to build in much of these areas. Neighborhood Homes changes that.
While critics may say San Diego already has the tools for adding homes to neighborhoods, why add another program? Because each of those tools was for a different purpose. None were designed to add more for-sale housing.
ADUs, the backyard homes now common across the city, typically top out at 750 square feet (because of fee cliffs) and entail intricacies when selling to own. Other tools, like Senate Bill 9, have been layered with requirements that make it far too complicated and expensive for many homeowners to split their lots to add homes. Laws like Senate Bill 79 are important for adding more housing near transit. But none of these tools focuses on family-sized, ownership-track townhomes in an established neighborhood.
The Neighborhood Homes initiative asks a simple question: Where do the families who can’t afford a million-dollar home but don’t want an apartment go? We can continue to say certain neighborhoods are off-limits to the teachers, trades workers and young families who want to live there, or San Diego can set its own terms for how they grow, with local standards in a form the city controls.
San Diego’s most beloved streets were not preserved into existence. They were built — a duplex here, a rowhouse there — by people who needed a place to live in the city they loved and found one. That is what Neighborhood Homes makes possible again.
Asad is a former board member of the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County. He resides in Mid-City.
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