Wildfire Risk: The 2025 Disclosure Update Everyone Needs To Know

Wildfires aren’t just a seasonal concern in California—they’re a year-round reality. And now, with new disclosure rules effective July 1, 2025, wildfire risk is directly tied to the way homes are bought and sold across the state.

For agents, sellers, and buyers, these updates mean more paperwork, new responsibilities, and an even greater need for Home Fire Hardening & Defensible Space Inspections.

Here’s what you need to know.

🔑 The 2025 Wildfire Disclosure Update

Starting July 1, 2025, California requires additional wildfire disclosures for homes that meet all of the following:

• Residential property (1–4 units, including condos or manufactured homes)

• Built before January 1, 2010

• Located in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) as designated by CAL FIRE or local agencies

• Subject to the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS)

What’s New?

Sellers must now state whether certain low-cost fire-hardening retrofits were completed during their ownership.

👉 Note: Sellers are not required to complete retrofits before selling—only to disclose what’s been done.

🛠️ What Must Be Disclosed

The new C.A.R. Fire Hardening & Defensible Space (FHDS) form, rev. June 2025, requires: 

A statutory list of 12 low-cost retrofits, including:

• Ember-resistant vents

• Details on which retrofits were completed, when, and by whom

• Notes if work was partial, unpermitted, or completed by unlicensed contractors

• Optional attachments (receipts, permits, photos)

If a defensible space inspection report (within 6 months) exists, it must also be included.

🌲 Defensible Space Still Matters

Beyond disclosures, defensible space compliance remains critical:

• 100 feet of clearance (or to the property line) is required around structures

• Homeowners must manage vegetation, debris, and combustible materials

• Inspections must be dated within 6 months of closing

• If not available before close, buyer and seller can agree the buyer completes compliance within 1 year post-close

✅ Why a Home Fire Hardening & Defensible Space Inspection Helps

At The Real Estate Inspection Company, our inspections provide:

• Early identification of vulnerabilities before CAL FIRE or a buyer’s inspector

• Photo-rich reports aligned with disclosure requirements

• Actionable steps for compliance (without contractor upselling)

• Fewer surprises and smoother escrows

• A marketing advantage for sellers through transparency

👩‍💼 What This Means for Agents

As an agent, here’s how you can stay ahead:

• Verify if a property is in a High/Very High FHSZ (use CAL FIRE’s map viewer)

• Ensure your sellers are using the FHDS form (June 2025 or newer)

• Recommend a Home Fire Hardening & Defensible Space Inspection early in the listing process

• Present inspection reports as a trust-builder and negotiation tool

🏡 Final Thoughts

Wildfire risk is here to stay—and now it’s written into California’s disclosure law. For agents, the key to protecting clients and escrows is understanding the rules and partnering with inspection experts.

At The Real Estate Inspection Company, we help homeowners and agents navigate these changes with independent, thorough inspections that make transactions smoother and safer.

📞 Ready to schedule? Visit SDinspect.com or call (800) 232-5180