HydroIQ - Your Free San Francisco Bay Area Wildfire Assistant
Instant answers about your fire zone, defensible space rules, insurance laws, and local resources. Free for any homeowner across all 9 San Francisco Bay Area counties. No login required.
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What Can You Ask HydroIQ?
Community Risk Assessments
Get your community's CAL FIRE hazard zone classification, fire history, and specific risk factors. Jurisdictional-level data for communities across all nine Bay Area counties.
Defensible Space Rules
Learn the specific vegetation management and defensible space requirements for your community, including local ordinances, state AB 3074 compliance, and the 2026 CWUIC changes.
Insurance & FAIR Plan Guidance
Understand your options when private insurers non-renew. Get FAIR Plan data, SB 429 wildfire risk model details, Safer from Wildfires discounts, and mitigation steps that may help you regain coverage.
Local Fire History
Review documented wildfires across the Bay Area, including the CZU Lightning Complex, Tubbs Fire, Atlas Fire, 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm, and more.
Wildfire Defense Systems
Learn how automated exterior sprinkler systems work, what they cost, and how they compare to other wildfire protection methods.
FireSafe Council Programs
Find out about free chipping services, Home Ignition Zone inspections, AB 888 grants, rebate programs, and vegetation management assistance in your county.
Popular Questions
Coverage Across All 9 San Francisco Bay Area Counties
HydroIQ's knowledge base covers the entire San Francisco Bay Area - Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties. Ask about your specific city, neighborhood, or fire hazard zone and get answers sourced from CAL FIRE FHSZ maps, OSFM LRA remapping data, local fire safe councils, Cal OES grant programs, and California Department of Insurance regulations.
What Does California's New Wildfire Insurance Law Mean for You?
California's SB 429, signed into law in October 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, creates the nation's first public wildfire catastrophe model. For the first time, homeowners will have access to the same type of fire risk modeling data that insurance companies use to set rates and make non-renewal decisions. Ask HydroIQ what SB 429 means for your property, your fire zone, and your insurance options.
Learn more at insurance.ca.govBuilt on Verified Public Sources
HydroIQ does not guess. Every answer draws from a structured knowledge base built on verified public sources. When HydroIQ cannot verify an answer, it says so and points you to the source directly.
State and Federal Agencies
- CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps (2024-2025 updates)
- Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) LRA remapping data
- Cal OES evacuation protocols and CWMP grant programs
- California Department of Insurance (CDI) regulations, SB 429 public wildfire model, and Safer from Wildfires framework
- CPUC fire threat maps and utility shutoff (PSPS) data
- California Board of Forestry Zone 0/1/2 defensible space rules
- California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force legislative updates
- FEMA wildland-urban interface risk assessments
Local and County Sources
- Fire Safe Councils across all 9 Bay Area counties (SCC, Marin, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Diablo, Berkeley Hills, San Mateo, and more)
- City and town fire departments, fire districts, and local ordinances for 48 communities
- Tree permit and heritage tree removal rules by city
- Local chipper programs, free defensible space inspections, and rebate programs
- Municipal evacuation routes and alert registration systems (AlertSCC, SMC Alert, AC Alert, Nixle)
Insurance and Legislation
- California FAIR Plan Association guidelines and coverage limits
- SB 429, AB 888, AB 1, and AB 38 wildfire legislation text and implementation status
- CDI Regulation 2644.9 mitigation discount categories
- Consumer Watchdog and independent insurance advocacy research
Fire Science and Research
- IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home research and community resilience ratings
- NIST ember transport and structure-to-structure ignition studies
- NFPA 1144 structure ignition assessment and NFPA 13D sprinkler standards
- Historical wildfire incident records (Camp Fire, Tubbs Fire, CZU Lightning Complex, 1991 Oakland Hills, and more)
Building Codes and Standards
- California Building Code Chapter 7A (ignition-resistant construction)
- PRC 4291 defensible space compliance requirements
- AB 3074 and SB 504 Zone Zero regulations
- ASTM E2886 ember and flame vent testing standards
HydroIQ is a free public resource. It is designed to answer wildfire questions for any homeowner in the San Francisco Bay Area regardless of whether they are a FireRoofs client or prospect. Answers about fire zones, defensible space, insurance, and local regulations are provided without any product recommendation. FireRoofs installation information is available separately at fireroofs.com.
Ask About Your Community's Wildfire Risk
HydroIQ is free and available 24/7. No login, no cost. Get answers about California wildfire law, insurance, defensible space, and the science behind why homes burn.
Curious About Your Property's Fire Risk?
HydroIQ can answer your wildfire questions, but to see what the satellite says about your specific property, run a pre-assessment. It covers your roof, vegetation clearance, and fire zone in about a minute.
- Satellite pre-assessment imagery of your home and landscape
- Fire zone lookup for your address
- Upgrade to a full assessment for a complete action plan
Takes about a minute. No account needed.