Cal Fire said the maps are proactive, to be used in wildland-urban interface building standards for new construction and natural hazard real estate disclosures at the time of sale.

Cal Fire's new maps for Southern California added 3.5 million acres into fire-hazard zones, increasing the acreage in the highest hazard zone by 26%.

Cities with first-time fire zone designations include Santa Monica, La Cañada-Flintridge, South Pasadena, Alhambra, Huntington Beach and Laguna Hills.