Fire Recovery Rules Expire in Plumas County

PLUMAS COUNTY — Emergency wildfire-recovery rules adopted during the 2021 Dixie and Beckwourth Complex fires will expire June 30, ending a temporary framework that allowed some displaced residents to live in RVs, temporary dwellings, and other interim housing under relaxed land-use standards.

Beginning July 1, Plumas County says its standard Title 9 planning and zoning regulations will again be enforceable in unincorporated areas. The practical effect is that people who have remained in year-round RVs, temporary mobile homes, manufactured homes not on permanent foundations, or similar temporary dwellings under the fire-recovery rules will no longer be covered by the special wildfire-recovery allowance unless another part of the county code applies.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the original urgency ordinances in August and September 2021, while the Dixie Fire and Beckwourth Complex were still burning. County officials said the rules were meant to address hazardous debris removal, hazard tree removal, and emergency interim housing for people displaced by the fires.

The housing sections provided the county with a temporary way to relax normal zoning limits while residents worked through cleanup, insurance, rebuilding, and the shortage of available housing. Depending on the location and requirements, the framework allowed emergency housing uses such as RVs, temporary dwellings with approved utility connections, temporary RV parks, base camps, storage containers, and the use of certain existing lodging facilities for displaced residents.

Ordinance 2025-1162, adopted December 23, extended the chapter’s effective period through June 30. The county said the six-month extension was primarily intended to give people still living in temporary housing, including year-round RVs on their properties, more time to find permanent housing. County officials also said mandatory debris and hazard tree removal had been completed, and wildfire recovery laydown, equipment, and staging yards were no longer needed after fall 2025.

The Board of Supervisors discussed the issue on June 2 and reached consensus not to extend the effective period again. The sunset does not undo completed debris cleanup or hazard tree work, but it ends the special fire-recovery rules that allowed temporary land uses outside the normal zoning code.

Under the regular county code, year-round occupancy of RVs or temporary dwellings is not allowed in unincorporated Plumas County unless the unit is in a state-licensed RV park or mobile home park. Some temporary uses remain possible under ordinary zoning rules, including camping in RVs on private land, with the property owner’s concurrence, for no more than 120 days in a calendar year, provided county health regulations are met, and the property is outside “Prime Opportunity Areas.”

Prime Opportunity Areas include single-family residential zones 2-R, 3-R, and 7-R; multiple-family residential zone M-R; core commercial zone C-1; periphery commercial zone C-2; convenience commercial zone C-3; recreation-open space zone Rec-OS; open space zone OS; and lake zone L. In those areas, RV camping is prohibited except within campgrounds.

Another section of the county code allows temporary occupancy during active construction. If a property owner has an issued building permit for a dwelling unit in a zone where dwelling units are allowed, Section 9-2.417(a) allows a manufactured home, RV, or appurtenant building to be used temporarily for up to 18 months while the permitted dwelling is being built. The same section allows temporary occupancy for up to six months while a permitted mobile home is being installed.

Residents who have been relying on the fire-recovery ordinance should check whether their property qualifies under one of the ordinary code provisions. The answer will depend partly on parcel zoning, the kind of temporary unit being used, whether there is an active building or installation permit, and whether health and utility requirements can be met.

Plumas County directs residents to use the county’s map portal to identify parcel zoning by selecting “Zoning” and searching by address or assessor parcel number. Residents can also call the Plumas County Planning Department at (530) 283-7011 and select Option 2 for assistance.