Officials review Springs Fire, urge home hardening and explain new fire-hazard maps
May 20, 2026 | Moreno Valley, Riverside County, California
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Moreno Valley fire and emergency officials used the Wildfire Community Resilience Forum to review what happened during the recent Springs Fire, to urge homeowners to adopt home-hardening measures, and to explain how updated state hazard maps affect existing properties.
"At 10:59 a.m. the world changed for a lot of people," Diana Rocket Sykes, Moreno Valley’s emergency manager, told the audience as she framed the forum around the April 3 Springs Fire. Fire Chief Jesse Park described the fire’s behavior, saying strong winds allowed the blaze to ‘‘quickly jump’’ through upland grass and brush and that aircraft effectiveness drops when winds exceed about 25 mph.
Edgar Gonzalez, the city fire marshal, outlined the city’s fire prevention work and new code expectations stemming from maps released in March 2025. He said the maps now show moderate and high fire-hazard severity zones in local responsibility areas and explained implications: properties in very high zones will require 100 feet of defensible space; AB 38 inspections will be required when a property is sold; and structural hardening (for example, Class A roofing, ember-resistant vents and fire-rated doors/windows) will be required when properties undergo permitting changes.
"Once the property is sold, an AB38 fire inspection or a defensible space inspection will be required before the property is put through the escrow process," Gonzalez said. He stressed that structural-hardening requirements are not immediately retroactive but will apply when owners seek permits for work such as roofing, windows or solar.
Natalie Narbath, a defensible-space inspector with Cal Fire who said she "inspected approximately 180 homes" after the Springs Fire, described the three defensible-space zones homeowners should know: zone 0 (0–5 ft), zone 1 (5–30 ft) and zone 2 (30–100 ft). She highlighted typical hazards the inspections found—vent gaps, wood piles near structures and leaf litter—and urged ongoing maintenance rather than last-minute clearing.
Officials directed residents to county and state resources to check their parcel designations (the fire marshal cited rbcfire.org and city information booths) and offered printed information at the forum. Fire officials framed home hardening and neighborhood action as complementary: enforceable code changes will be phased in, but residents can begin mitigating fuels immediately.
"At 10:59 a.m. the world changed for a lot of people," Diana Rocket Sykes, Moreno Valley’s emergency manager, told the audience as she framed the forum around the April 3 Springs Fire. Fire Chief Jesse Park described the fire’s behavior, saying strong winds allowed the blaze to ‘‘quickly jump’’ through upland grass and brush and that aircraft effectiveness drops when winds exceed about 25 mph.
Edgar Gonzalez, the city fire marshal, outlined the city’s fire prevention work and new code expectations stemming from maps released in March 2025. He said the maps now show moderate and high fire-hazard severity zones in local responsibility areas and explained implications: properties in very high zones will require 100 feet of defensible space; AB 38 inspections will be required when a property is sold; and structural hardening (for example, Class A roofing, ember-resistant vents and fire-rated doors/windows) will be required when properties undergo permitting changes.
"Once the property is sold, an AB38 fire inspection or a defensible space inspection will be required before the property is put through the escrow process," Gonzalez said. He stressed that structural-hardening requirements are not immediately retroactive but will apply when owners seek permits for work such as roofing, windows or solar.
Natalie Narbath, a defensible-space inspector with Cal Fire who said she "inspected approximately 180 homes" after the Springs Fire, described the three defensible-space zones homeowners should know: zone 0 (0–5 ft), zone 1 (5–30 ft) and zone 2 (30–100 ft). She highlighted typical hazards the inspections found—vent gaps, wood piles near structures and leaf litter—and urged ongoing maintenance rather than last-minute clearing.
Officials directed residents to county and state resources to check their parcel designations (the fire marshal cited rbcfire.org and city information booths) and offered printed information at the forum. Fire officials framed home hardening and neighborhood action as complementary: enforceable code changes will be phased in, but residents can begin mitigating fuels immediately.
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