Buying a Home in Plumas County, CA: Dixie Fire Recovery & Fire Hazard Zones
The Dixie Fire — nearly a million acres, downtown Greenville destroyed — is the defining fact for any buyer evaluating property in Plumas County today, and the county's 2025 fire-hazard maps are worth checking directly.
Plumas County was directly and severely affected by the July 2021 Dixie Fire — at nearly 1 million acres, one of the largest wildfires in California history — which completely destroyed downtown Greenville and the communities of Indian Falls and Canyon Dam, along with nearly 100 cabins in Warner Valley. Recovery and rebuilding remain an active, ongoing process years later, and the county is now under updated statewide Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping that touches its populated communities directly.
What’s the transfer tax in Plumas County?
Plumas County's documentary transfer tax is flat across the entire county at $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration, with Portola — the county's only incorporated city — imposing no additional surcharge on top.
Portola sits at the same combined $1.10/$1,000 total as the rest of the county — the standard $0.55 county + $0.55 city split, not an add-on.
What should I know about the Dixie Fire before buying in Greenville?
The Dixie Fire started July 13, 2021, and burned approximately 963,000 acres across Plumas, Lassen, Butte, Shasta, and Tehama counties, completely destroying downtown Greenville (over 200 homes and most businesses) along with Indian Falls, Canyon Dam, and roughly 100 cabins in Warner Valley.
If you're buying a newly-rebuilt home in Greenville or other Dixie Fire-affected areas, ask about construction date and current wildfire-hardening building code compliance — a genuine advantage of new construction in a rebuilt area. Greenville's rebuild is real but still in progress (a grocery store, a gas station, and some other businesses have reopened, but full downtown recovery is ongoing) — don't assume full-service infrastructure matches pre-fire levels. Plumas County has continued receiving Dixie Fire recovery funding (nearing $60 million as of a 2025 report) and secured direct PG&E settlement payments, and 2021 Dixie Fire victims are exempt from state and federal taxes on fire-related compensation payments under 2025 legislation (AB 132).
What do the county's current Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps show?
Plumas County received its updated Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps from the State Fire Marshal on February 10, 2025, covering the town of Chester, Quincy/East Quincy, and Sierra Valley, and classifying areas as Moderate, High, or Very High hazard.
The classification is based on physical fire-risk conditions over a 30-50 year outlook and doesn't account for individual home-hardening. Separately, the county's Fire Safe Council has been actively funding fuel-reduction work relevant to the Lake Almanor market, including a shaded fuel break treating 738.3 acres along Lake Almanor's eastern shore (Almanor Peninsula). Check a specific property's current FHSZ classification directly, and treat wildfire insurance availability and cost as an early part of your due diligence — a property inside a Very High zone carries state-mandated defensible-space and home-hardening disclosure requirements.
What is it like living outside Quincy and Portola in Plumas County?
Remote and rural — most of Plumas County outside Quincy and Portola is forested and mountainous with low population density.
Expect well/septic infrastructure and longer response times for specialty trades, as in other rural Sierra counties.
Disclosure landscape
- For Dixie Fire-affected areas, ask about construction date and wildfire-hardening code compliance on any rebuilt home.
- Check current CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps (updated for Chester, Quincy/East Quincy, and Sierra Valley in February 2025) for any specific property before making an offer.
Frequently asked
Is it safe to buy a home in Greenville, CA after the Dixie Fire?
Many buyers do, particularly for newly-rebuilt homes that meet current wildfire-hardening building codes — but full downtown recovery is still in progress, and insurance availability and cost should be confirmed with a real quote before you remove contingencies.
Is there a city transfer tax add-on in Quincy or Portola?
No. Portola (the only incorporated city) sits at the same flat $1.10 per $1,000 combined rate as the rest of the county — no city-level surcharge. Quincy is unincorporated, so the standard countywide rate applies there too.
Is Dixie Fire compensation money taxable if I received a PG&E settlement?
2021 Dixie Fire victims are exempt from state and federal taxes on fire-related compensation payments under 2025 legislation (AB 132) — confirm current details with a tax professional for your specific situation.
Sources
- California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates (effective 12/1/2025)
- Plumas County — Dixie Fire and Beckwourth Complex Fire Information
- Plumas County — Rebuilding
- The Plumas Sun — "County accepts $7.8 million for PG&E damages in Dixie fire"
- The Plumas Sun — "Dixie Fire recovery funding nearly $60 million"
- The Plumas Sun — "Dixie Fire victims exempt from state taxes"
- Plumas County — LRA Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) Map
- Plumas News — "County responds to state's Fire Hazard Severity Zone map"
- The Plumas Sun — "Nearly $2M awarded for local wildfire prevention" (Almanor Peninsula fuel break)
This is educational guidance, not legal advice. Consult a California real estate attorney for legal questions specific to your transaction.