Buying a Home in Tehama County, CA: Transfer Tax & the 2024 Park Fire
The fourth-largest wildfire in California history burned directly into Tehama County in 2024 — a fact every buyer here should know.
Tehama County, anchored by Red Bluff along the Sacramento River, is a rural, agriculture- and timber-based county roughly midway between Redding and Chico. Its most significant recent event is direct, not just regional spillover: the 2024 Park Fire — the fourth-largest wildfire in California history — burned into Tehama County itself, not just neighboring Butte County.
What’s the transfer tax in Tehama County?
Tehama County's documentary transfer tax is the standard statewide rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration, with no city-level add-on.
All three incorporated/recognized cities — Corning, Red Bluff, and Tehama — are General Law jurisdictions charging the standard $0.55 city-share rate on top of the $0.55 county rate, with no additional local surcharge, per the statewide rate survey effective December 1, 2025. Example: a $280,000 sale works out to $308 total transfer tax anywhere in the county.
Did a major wildfire actually burn in Tehama County?
Yes — the Park Fire, which ignited July 24, 2024, burned 429,603 acres across Butte, Tehama, Shasta, and Plumas counties before full containment on September 26, 2024, becoming the fourth-largest wildfire in California history and destroying 709 structures.
Unlike the 2018 Camp Fire (which burned in neighboring Butte County and only affected Tehama through secondary housing displacement), the Park Fire's footprint extended directly into Tehama County's eastern and northeastern areas. If you're evaluating property in Tehama County's foothill or forested zones, check the current CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map for the specific parcel and ask directly whether it falls within or near the Park Fire's burn scar, since burned terrain carries elevated debris-flow and regrowth fuel-load considerations for years afterward.
How did the 2018 Camp Fire affect the Tehama County housing market?
Separately from the Park Fire, the November 2018 Camp Fire destroyed roughly 14,000 housing units across Butte, Glenn, and Tehama counties combined and displaced most of Paradise's population — Tehama County saw secondary housing-demand impact as displaced residents resettled in the region, even though the fire itself did not burn within Tehama County.
This is worth knowing as regional market context even for a property with no direct fire exposure — it can affect inventory and demand dynamics county-wide.
What should I know about the Sacramento River corridor and rural infrastructure?
Red Bluff sits directly on the Sacramento River, about 135 miles north of Sacramento. The Red Bluff Diversion Dam historically provided irrigation water to roughly 150,000 acres of west-side Sacramento Valley farmland until the dam's gates were permanently raised in 2013 for fish-passage reasons, shifting the area's irrigation infrastructure.
This is relevant context if you're evaluating agricultural water rights tied to the district the dam formerly served. Most rural property outside Red Bluff and Corning relies on private well water and septic systems rather than municipal utilities, and the county economy remains centered on ranching, farming, and timber.
Disclosure landscape
- Fire Hazard Severity Zone status should be checked per-parcel via current CAL FIRE maps, especially near the 2024 Park Fire's Tehama County footprint.
- Rural property outside Red Bluff and Corning typically relies on private well and septic systems — get a well-yield and septic inspection as standard due diligence.
Frequently asked
Is there a city transfer tax add-on in Red Bluff or Corning?
No — Corning, Red Bluff, and Tehama all charge the standard city-share rate with no local surcharge, so total transfer tax anywhere in the county is the standard $1.10 per $1,000.
Did the Park Fire burn in Tehama County?
Yes — the 2024 Park Fire (429,603 acres total, the fourth-largest wildfire in California history) burned across Butte, Tehama, Shasta, and Plumas counties, with its footprint extending into Tehama County's eastern and northeastern areas. Check current CAL FIRE hazard maps for a specific parcel's proximity to the burn scar.
Are homes in Tehama County on well and septic?
Most rural property outside Red Bluff and Corning relies on private well water and septic systems rather than municipal utilities — budget for a well and septic inspection.
Sources
- California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates (effective 12/1/2025)
- Park Fire — Wikipedia (429,603 acres, 709 structures destroyed, Butte and Tehama counties, contained September 26, 2024)
- Tehama County — Park Fire Recovery Information
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation — Camp Fire regional housing-unit destruction figures (Butte/Glenn/Tehama combined)
- Wikipedia — Red Bluff Diversion Dam (irrigation and fish-passage history)
- Tehama County — Documentary Transfer Tax (with common exemptions)
This is educational guidance, not legal advice. Consult a California real estate attorney for legal questions specific to your transaction.