Santa Ana winds have kicked back up across Ventura and Los Angeles counties this week, and parts of the region are back under Red Flag Warnings, according to CBS News Los Angeles. For anyone who has lived here more than a season, that is simply fall in Southern California. For homeowners thinking about listing, it is also a good reminder of a disclosure law that is now part of nearly every sale in our fire-prone neighborhoods.
What AB 38 Already Required
California’s AB 38 has required sellers of one-to-four-unit homes in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones to disclose specific conditions they actually know about, such as untreated wood roofing, uncovered gutters, non-tempered windows near doors, gaps in roof flashing, and combustible material close to the home or under a deck. The law does not require an inspection or any upgrades. It asks sellers to share what they already know.
What Changed in 2025
Starting July 1, 2025, homes built before January 1, 2010, inside those same High or Very High zones have an added step. Sellers now provide buyers with a checklist of low-cost fire-hardening features developed by CAL FIRE and the Office of Emergency Services, and note which ones the home already has, even if the answer is none. The checklist generally covers items like:
- A Class A fire-rated roof
- Ember-resistant attic and crawl-space vents
- Noncombustible bird stopping at the roofline
- Noncombustible mesh over skylights
Again, this is a disclosure requirement, not a renovation mandate. No one is forced to harden a home before selling it. The goal is simply that buyers walk into escrow with accurate information.
Why This Matters Here in Ventura County
A meaningful share of Ventura County sits inside a designated fire hazard zone, from the foothill communities around Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Ojai to the wildland-adjacent pockets of Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, and parts of Camarillo and Somis. If you are planning to sell a home in one of these areas, it is worth checking your parcel on CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer before you list, so there are no surprises when your agent or escrow officer raises the disclosure.
This also connects to something many move-up sellers are already feeling: insurance in fire-adjacent areas has gotten harder to place and more expensive to keep, a trend that has been widely reported across California over the past couple of years. Being able to show a buyer which hardening features are already in place, supported by receipts or permits when you have them, can make a real difference in how smoothly that conversation goes.
What Sellers Should Do Now
Start by confirming whether your property falls inside a High or Very High zone. Pull together any documentation of roof replacements, vent upgrades, or defensible-space work you have already completed. And loop in your agent early, before the home is photographed and listed, so the disclosure packet is ready on day one rather than assembled under pressure once an offer is in hand.
For buyers, this disclosure is a tool, not a reason to walk away from a neighborhood you love. Read it, ask questions, and factor it into your due diligence the same way you would a roof age or a septic report.
This post is general information, not legal or insurance advice. For how AB 38 applies to your specific property, talk with a licensed real estate attorney, your insurance agent, or the Ventura County branch of the California Association of Realtors.
If you are weighing a sale in a fire-hazard area and want a second set of eyes on your disclosure prep, I am happy to help.
Doug Miller, RE/MAX Gold Coast, Remedios Team | (661) 607-7500
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