Update: EdSource revised their analysis Aug. 1 with additional information on which schools are located in or next to Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Cal Fire had provided EdSource with incomplete maps of the state’s fire zones, omitting vulnerable regions that include national and state forests, state parks and some areas within unincorporated counties.
This article now includes updated data and maps, increasing the number of San Diego County public schools located in a high or very high Fire Hazard Severity Zone from 96 to 141 and the number of San Diego County public school students attending a school in a high or very high Fire Hazard Severity Zone from roughly 80,000 to 99,000.
More than 99,000 students in 141 public schools across San Diego County go to class in areas deemed a high or very high fire hazard, the most students and the second highest number of schools of any county across the state.
The fresh data analysis by partner newsroom EdSource follows the release of updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps by Cal Fire earlier this year. Those showed an increase in hazardous land within almost every city’s boundaries in San Diego County between 2014 and 2025.
For perspective: That’s 167 more students and four schools less than in Los Angeles County, which has 6.7 million more residents than San Diego County.
Not just the backcountry: 15 schools are in North County coastal areas. Another 13 are in the South Bay, and dozens more are scattered across the city of San Diego.
Wildfire preparedness, optional: The California Department of Education doesn’t require schools to include a wildfire response in their comprehensive safety plan, an addition some counties like San Diego have strongly encouraged, Tracy Schmidt, the senior director of attendance, safety and student engagement for the county’s Office of Education, told EdSource.
Zooming out: The Palisades and Eaton fires in L.A. County January damaged or destroyed a combined 9 schools. Before that, the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California scorched 13.
Note: While the analysis included charter schools, private campuses were not featured.
Map: San Diego public schools located in or near fire hazard severity zones
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) classifies Fire Hazard Severity Zones as Moderate, High, or Very High, based on factors like fuel load, slope, fire weather and wind patterns that increase wildfire spread.
Use the map to check whether your local schools are in these zones, and filter by Moderate, High, or Very High to explore further.
Understanding hazard vs. risk
Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps evaluate “hazard,” not “risk,” Cal Fire says. Here’s the agency’s definition of both:
“‘Hazard’ is based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50-year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, recent wildfire, or fuel reduction efforts. ‘Risk’ is the potential damage a fire can do to the area under existing conditions, accounting for any modifications such as fuel reduction projects, defensible space, and ignition resistant building construction.”
In other words, the maps are much more about assessing future fire likelihood than projecting imminent risk.
Data source: Cal Fire, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and EdSource data analysis
More at the intersection of wildfires and education
Will new bond funds be enough to rebuild LA schools — and all of California’s other crumbling schools?
Rebuilding in Los Angeles County after January’s fires may eat up much of the money voters approved for school repairs statewide.
Thousands of California students attend schools in high fire danger zones
Experts stress the importance of preparing schools and their facilities for future fire hazards.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
