SRA / DPA Acres, Population and Housing Units
CAL FIRE’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) maintains GIS data related to State Responsibility Area (SRA) and Direct Protection Area (CAL FIRE DPA). These data are combined with decadal census data and Department of Finance annual county population projection data to produce estimates at 5 year intervals of the number of people and housing units within SRA and CAL FIRE DPA. (see methodology).These numbers underestimate the actual number of people and housing units CAL FIRE protects because wildfires originating on CAL FIRE DPA have the potential to burn into adjacent, densely populated areas. In addition, while there may be more accurate data sources available locally for calculating these same statistics (e.g. parcel data), CAL FIRE used the only available statewide source for population and housing, the U.S. Census.
Data and Map Products
The basic GIS data for SRA and DPA are available for download, as well as statewide or county maps. In addition, a spreadsheet (.xls) is available for download that contains SRA/DPA acres, population, and housing, by county or CAL FIRE Unit.Tables and Charts
Tables and charts are available for viewing and/or downloading, compiled for the following geographic areas:|
SRA by County, CAL FIRE Unit, or Statewide: Select a County: Select a Unit: Statewide: |
DPA by County, CAL FIRE Unit, or Statewide: Select a County: Select a Unit: Statewide: |
Areas of SRA change are available in the form of a statewide SRA change map (pdf document; 6.7 MB).
Why Does SRA Change?
1. The primary reasons for areas moving out of SRA designation are:
Incorporation: new incorporated cities or areas that are annexed to existing cities are not eligible for SRA designation.
Federal ownership: federal lands are not eligible for SRA designation. When parcels are sold or swapped to federal agencies, they are removed from SRA.
Land use: changes resulting in significant new agricultural uses can result in loss of SRA designation. This typically involves vineyards, orchards, or other crops. There is a minimum recommended size for agriculture "islands" within SRA of 1,000 acres, as adopted by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Development: areas that through densification reach the limit of an average of 3 housing units per acre can be excluded from SRA designation, even if they remain unincorporated. There is a minimum recommended size for densified "islands" within SRA of 250 acres, as adopted by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Incorporation and change to federal ownership are "automatic exclusions," meaning that without exception there is a loss of SRA designation. These changes are captured through annual updates to SRA data and maps.
Land use and development changes are not automatic, and require approval from the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection before SRA status can be changed. These type of changes primarily occur through the 5 year SRA Review, the last of which occurred in 2005.
A map showing an area in Los Angeles County with significant removals of SRA is available here.
2. The primary reasons for areas being added to SRA are:
Ownership: parcels sold/swapped out of federal ownership have the potential to become SRA, provided various other criteria are met.
Land use: agricultural areas sometimes revert back to rangeland and have the potential to become SRA, provided various other criteria are met.
These types of changes require Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approval and are typically done as part of the 5 year review process.
Please contact Robin Marose at (916) 324-1646 or Robin.Marose@fire.ca.gov if you have any questions about this project.