Santa Cruz County

County in California

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Report created October 27, 2026 at www.firezones.info/county/087/santa-cruz

  • Fire hazard severity zones

    Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

    9% Very High

    Most of the Very High land is in the State Responsibility Area, where the State Fire Marshal's zones apply.

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  • Fire history

    Share of the land inside a recorded wildfire perimeter

    25% has burned

    Most recently the 2021 Estrada Fire, which burned 54 acres here, one of 28 fires on record.

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  • Power line fire risk

    Share of the land in the High Fire-Threat District

    57% Extreme

    Utilities may shut off power in the CPUC High Fire-Threat District in fire weather, and homes outside it can lose power when their lines run through it.

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Land by hazard class

  1. Very High 25,499 acres · 24,959 state, 540 local 9%
  2. High 178,203 acres · 169,798 state, 8,404 local 62%
  3. Moderate 42,282 acres · 33,987 state, 8,295 local 15%
  4. Non-wildland 33,028 acres · Local Responsibility Area 12%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 6,879 acres · Mostly federal land 2%

285,890 acres of land in all, 228,744 in the State Responsibility Area and 50,267 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since 1 April 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

Largest fires

  1. 2020 Czu Lightning Complex Of 86,554 acres in all · Cause: Lightning 63,746 acres
  2. 2009 Lockheed Fire 7,783 acres
  3. 2008 Summit Fire Of 4,175 acres in all · Cause: Debris burning 3,903 acres
  4. 1962 Lincoln Hill Fire Of 3,236 acres in all 1,358 acres
  5. 1959 Newell Creek #2 Fire 1,327 acres
  6. 1984 Rocha Vmp Escape #2 Fire Of 1,240 acres in all · Cause: Miscellaneous 1,182 acres
  7. 1985 Lexington Fire Of 13,128 acres in all · Cause: Arson 705 acres
  8. 2009 Loma Fire 668 acres
  9. 2008 Trabing Fire Cause: Vehicle 593 acres
  10. 2008 Martin Fire Cause: Campfire 483 acres

And 18 smaller fires. In all, 72,885 acres of Santa Cruz County have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history

Sources

Fire hazard severity zones
CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal
State map published 27 June 2025, local map 2 February 2026
Fire history
CAL FIRE Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Published 28 July 2026
Power line fire risk
California Public Utilities Commission
Published 23 February 2026

This site is independent and not affiliated with CAL FIRE or the CPUC, so for an official determination, check with the agency or your city or county. How we read the data

Nearby areas

Cities and towns in Santa Cruz County

Unincorporated communities in Santa Cruz County

ZIP codes in Santa Cruz County

Neighboring counties

  1. Santa Cruz County 9% Very High · this area
  2. Monterey County 36% Very High
  3. San Benito County 45% Very High
  4. San Mateo County 21% Very High
  5. Santa Clara County 51% Very High