This chapter shall be known and cited as the "fire and life safety chapter" of the Amador County Code.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
These regulations have been prepared and adopted for the purpose of establishing minimum wildfire protection standards in conjunction with building, construction, and development in SRA. The future design and construction of structures, subdivisions and developments in state responsibility area (SRA) shall provide for basic emergency access and perimeter wildfire protection measures as specified in the following sections. These measures shall provide for emergency access; signing and building numbering; private water supply reserves for emergency fire use; and vegetation modification. The fire protection standards which follow shall specify the minimums for such measures.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
This chapter is adopted to meet the requirements of California Public Resource Code Section 4290 and California Code of Regulations Title 14, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2, Articles 1 through 5, Sections 1270.0 through 1276.03.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
These regulations shall apply as appropriate to all new construction within SRA approved after January 1, 1991. Affected activities include but are not limited to:
A.
Permitting or approval of new parcels;
B.
Application for a building permit for new construction not relating to an existing structure;
C.
Application for a use permit or grading permit;
D.
The siting of manufactured homes (manufactured homes are as defined by the National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Code, Section 501A, Standard for Fire Safety Criteria for Manufactured Home Installations, Sites and Communities, Chapter 1, Section 1-2, Definitions, page 4, 1987 Edition, and Health and Safety Code Sections 18007, 18008 and 19971;
E.
New road construction, including construction of a road that does not currently exist, or extension of an existing road.
Exemption: These regulations do not apply to existing structures, roads, streets and private lanes or facilities; roads required as a condition of tentative parcel maps prior to January 1, 1991; roads for agricultural or mining use; or roads used solely for the management and harvesting of wood products; and certificates of compliance and lot line adjustments as specified in Government Code Section 66412(d).
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
The inspection authority may inspect for compliance with these regulations. When inspections are conducted, they should occur prior to: septic final; the issuance of the use permit; certificate of occupancy; the recordation of the parcel map or final map; the filing of a notice of completion; or the final inspection of any project or building permit.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Upon request by the applicant, deviations to standards within this chapter and mitigated practices may be allowed by the inspection authority where the deviation provides the same overall practical effect as these regulations toward providing defensible space.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Requests for a deviation shall be made in writing to the inspection authority by the applicant or the applicant's authorized representative. The request shall state the specific section(s) for which a deviation is requested, material facts supporting the contention of the applicant, the details of the deviation or mitigation measure proposed, and a map showing the proposed location and siting of the deviation or mitigation measure.
A.
The approving authority may approve or recommend the approval of minor deviations from standards set forth in this chapter where the mitigated practices proposed in the deviation request provide the same practical effect, and where reasonable access can be provided to assure adequate evacuation routes for the public and adequate access routes for emergency personnel and equipment. In determining whether the same practical effect can be achieved, the approving authority shall apply and make findings concerning the performance criteria as follows:
2.
Deviations shall provide safe emergency access for fire equipment.
3.
Deviations shall provide for unobstructed traffic circulation during an emergency.
4.
Deviations shall provide for safe civilian evacuation during an emergency.
5.
Deviations shall not cause delays in emergency response or interfere with the ability of emergency personnel to locate an incident.
6.
Deviations shall provide a sufficient quantity of water for both wildfire and structural fire fighting at a location where it is immediately available to emergency personnel.
7.
Deviations shall not result in fuel modification that would adversely affect access or defensible space, thereby jeopardizing civilian and fire fighter safety.
B.
An application for a deviation shall be filed with the building department. The application shall state the specific modification requested and the reason and justification for the requested modification. The application shall provide information demonstrating that compliance with the requirements of this chapter is not feasible because doing so is not physically possible, would create other safety hazards, or would increase the project cost by twenty percent or more. Pertinent maps and site plans and any additional information requested by the public works department shall be provided by the applicant.
C.
The director, after consultation with appropriate departments such as fire protection providers, building department, and planning department, will render a decision as to whether the proposed modification provides the same practical effect as the applicable standards.
D.
The director shall not approve a deviation request if it is feasible to accomplish the project in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
E.
Unless and until the conditions requiring the deviation are eliminated, the owner and any successors in interest shall maintain mitigation(s) justifying the deviation.
F.
The director or his/her designee shall retain authority to verify that any mitigation measures accepted as providing the same practical effect as the standard(s) from which the deviation was granted are maintained.
(Ord. 1799 § 2, 2020)
A.
The decision of the director may be appealed to the board of supervisors. An applicant desiring to appeal must file a written request for appeal of the decision of the director which sets forth the reasons for the appeal. The request for appeal must be filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors within fifteen days of receipt of written notice of the decision being appealed.
B.
The board of supervisors shall hold a public hearing on the appeal and based thereon may affirm, reject or modify the decision of the director.
C.
If a deviation from standards is granted, the approving authority (director or board of supervisors, as appropriate) shall make a written statement of findings as to the reason for the decision. A copy shall be provided to the applicant and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
means any building used as an accessory to residential, commercial, recreational, industrial, or educational purpose defined in the California Building Code, 1989 Amendments, Chapter 11, Group M, Division 1, Occupancy that requires a building permit.
means Amador Fire Protection District.
means land used for agricultural purposes as defined in Title 19 of this code.
means the county of Amador through its community development agency director or board of supervisors on requests of deviations from standards.
means any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy that is defined in the California Building Code, 1989 Amendments, Chapter 11, except Group M, Division 1, Occupancy. For the purposes of this chapter, "building" includes mobile homes and manufactured homes, churches, and day care facilities.
means California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
means all refuse that will ignite through contact with flames, including but not limited to trimmings from lawns, trees and gardens; rags, paper, straw, sawdust, packing material, shavings and boxes; living flammable vegetation, dead or dying vegetation, pine needles and duff; and any other such materials or fuels which might contribute to the spread of flames or emit sparks and embers if burning.
means private vehicular access to no more than four residential parcels on which no more than four residential units have been built or, as determined by the zoning of the parcels, may be built. Refer to Section 12.08.035.
means a road that has only one point of vehicular ingress/egress, including cul-de-sacs and looped roads.
means the area within the perimeter of a parcel, development, neighborhood or community where basic wildland fire protection practices and measures are implemented, providing the key point of defense from an approaching wildfire or defense against encroaching wildfires or escaping structure fires. The "perimeter" as used in this regulation is the area encompassing the parcel or parcels proposed for construction and/or development, excluding the physical structure itself. The area is characterized by the establishment and maintenance of emergency vehicle access, emergency water reserves, street names and building identification, and fuel modification measures.
means as defined in Section 66418.1 of the California Government Code.
means an alternative to the specified standard requested by the applicant that may be necessary due to health, safety, environmental conditions, physical site limitations, costs or other limiting conditions.
means the community development agency director, who has been granted authority by the board of supervisors. In the absence of a director, the chief building official shall perform all duties assigned by this chapter to the director.
means vehicular access that serves a single parcel that contains no more than three dwelling units and any number of accessory buildings.
means any building or portion thereof which contains living facilities, including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and/or sanitation for not more than one family.
means the flow rate, measured in gallons per minute at twenty psi residual pressure, that is available for fire fighting. Refer to the California Fire Code for building specific fire flow(s).
means a plan which addresses the fire protection needs of a subdivision or other project so as to achieve the standards of this chapter or the same practical effect.
See "Hydrant."
means an area, within the defensible space, where the volume of flammable vegetation has been reduced, providing reduced fire intensity and duration.
means a facility or land use, designed for a use other than fire protection, which will slow or resist the spread of a wildfire. Includes parking lots, irrigated or landscaped areas, golf courses, parks, playgrounds, maintained vineyards, orchards or annual crops that do not cure in the field.
means vegetation such as grass, sage and other perennials; any low brush growth that does not allow for the easy movement of air through the foliage, including small conifer reproduction; and nonliving material such as felled logs, heavy limbs and smaller twigs, leaves, needles, bark and cones.
means a roadway that provides a "T" shaped, three-point turnabout space for emergency equipment, being no narrower than the road that serves it.
means areas designated and mapped as "high fire hazard areas" by Cal Fire in accordance with Public Resources Code Section 4291.5.
means a valved connection on a water supply/storage system, having at least one two-and-one-half-inch outlet, with male American National Fire Hose Screw Threads (NH) used to supply fire apparatus and hoses with water.
means department(s) that issues or approves building permits, use permits, tentative maps or tentative parcel maps, or has authority to regulate development and construction activity.
means the purpose for which a building, or part thereof, is used or intended to be used.
means a minimum of one traffic lane width designed for traffic flow in one direction only.
means the area encompassing a parcel, excluding the physical structure itself.
means vehicular access to more than four parcels; access to any industrial or commercial occupancy; or vehicular access to a single parcel with four or more dwelling units.
means any surface designed, improved, or ordinarily used for vehicle travel.
means bridges, culverts, and other appurtenant structures which supplement the roadway bed or shoulders.
means an exception or alternative with the capability of applying accepted wildland fire suppression strategies and tactics, and provisions for fire fighter safety, including: (A) access for emergency wildland fire equipment, (B) safe civilian evacuation, (C) signing that avoids delays in emergency equipment response, (D) available and accessible water to effectively attack wildfire or defend a structure from wildfire, and (E) fuel modification sufficient for civilian and fire fighter safety.
means roadbed or surface adjacent to the traffic lane.
means that which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.
means as defined in Section 66424 of the Government Code.
means a time period of not more than one year.
means the portion of a roadway that provides a single line of vehicle travel.
means a roadway, unobstructed by parking, which allows for a safe opposite change in direction for emergency equipment. Design of such area may be a hammerhead/T or terminus bulb.
means a widening in a roadway to allow vehicles to pass.
means the minimum specified height of a bridge or overhead projection above the roadway, fifteen feet.
means all fire hydrants installed without a four-and-one-half-inch steamer outlet.
(Ord. 1799 § 3, 2020; Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
All specified or referenced distances are measured along the ground, unless otherwise stated.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
To ensure continued maintenance of properties in conformance with these standards and measures and to assure continued availability, access, and utilization of the defensible space provided for in these standards during a wildfire, provisions for annual maintenance shall be included in the development plans and/or shall be provided as a condition of the permit, parcel or map approval.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
When a building permit or grading permit for new construction is the only approval or permit sought for a parcel, improvements required by this section shall not be imposed on any existing driveway, road, right-of-way, easement, or real property other than on the parcel for which the building permit is sought.
However, off-site improvements may be required for subdivision maps, parcel maps, use permits, general plan changes and zone changes at the discretion of the director and in accordance with this chapter.
Road and street networks, whether public or private, unless exempted shall provide for safe access for emergency wildland fire equipment and civilian evacuation concurrently, and shall provide unobstructed traffic circulation during a wildfire emergency.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
The surface shall provide unobstructed access to conventional drive vehicles, including sedans and fire engines. Surfaces should be established in conformance with county road standards, and be capable of supporting a seventy-five-thousand-pound load.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
The grade for all roads, streets, private lanes and driveways shall not exceed sixteen percent.
Application for deviation shall be required for all driveways that exceed sixteen percent. Driveways above elevation of three thousand feet shall not exceed twenty percent.
Driveways below elevation of three thousand feet shall not exceed twenty-four percent.
Requirements for deviation requests may include any or all of the following:
A.
A driveway plan is required. Plans shall show travel surface grades, elevations and locations of driveway and/or slope easements. Driveways that exceed twenty percent shall be designed by a licensed engineer.
B.
Driveway/road travel surface grades shall be certified by a licensed engineer or surveyor prior to final approval.
C.
Driveway sections that exceed sixteen percent grade shall have a minimum width of eighteen feet and include a paved surface. If topographical conditions do not allow the minimum eighteen-foot width, paved turnouts shall be provided with a maximum spacing of four hundred feet and wherever sight distance is restricted.
D.
A fire management plan for the parcel may be required pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 15.30.440.
E.
Minimum driveway paving specifications include two inches of asphalt concrete over four inches of Class II aggregate base compacted to ninety-five percent over six inches of subgrade compacted to ninety-five percent, or five inches of concrete (two thousand five hundred psi) with either No. 10 wire mesh in the upper one-third of slab over two inches of Class II aggregate base compacted to ninety-five percent over six inches of subgrade compacted to ninety-five percent.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
No roadway shall have a horizontal inside radius of curvature of less than fifty feet and additional surface width of four feet shall be added to curves of fifty to one hundred feet radius; two feet to those from one hundred to two hundred feet.
B.
The length of vertical curves in roadways, exclusive of gutters, ditches, and drainage structures designed to hold or divert water, shall be not less than one hundred feet.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Turnarounds are required on driveways and dead-end roads as specified in this chapter. The minimum turning radius for a turnaround shall be forty feet from the centerline of the road. If a hammerhead/T is used, the top of the "T" shall be a minimum of sixty feet in length.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Turnouts shall be a minimum of twelve feet wide and thirty feet long with a minimum twenty-five-foot taper on each end.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
All driveway, road, street, and private lane roadway structures shall be constructed to carry the loads in the table below, and provide minimum vertical clearance of fifteen feet.
Axle Configuration | Max. Allowable Weight per Axle |
|---|---|
Single steering axle (front and rear) | 24,000 pounds |
Single drive axle | 31,000 pounds |
Tandem axles | 48,000 pounds |
Tandem rear drive steer axles | 48,000 pounds |
Tridem axles | 54,000 pounds |
B.
Appropriate signing, including but not limited to weight or vertical clearance limitations, one-way road or single-lane conditions, shall reflect the capability of each bridge.
C.
A bridge with only one traffic lane may be authorized by the director; however, it shall provide for unobstructed visibility from one end to the other and turnouts at both ends.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
All one-way roads shall be constructed to provide a minimum of one twelve-foot traffic lane. The director may approve one-way roads. All one-way roads shall connect to a two-lane roadway at both ends, and shall provide access to an area currently zoned for no more than ten dwelling units. In no case shall it exceed two thousand six hundred forty feet in length. A turnout shall be placed and constructed at approximately the midpoint of each one-way road.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
The maximum length of a dead-end road, including all dead-end roads accessed from that dead-end road, shall not exceed the following cumulative lengths, regardless of the number of parcels served:
Parcels zoned for less than one acre | 800 Ft. |
Parcels zoned for 1 acre to 4.99 acres | 1,320 Ft. |
Parcels zoned for 5 acres to 19.99 acres | 2,640 Ft. |
Parcels zoned for 20 acres or larger | 5,280 Ft. |
All lengths shall be measured from the edge of the roadway surface at the intersection that begins the road to the end of the road surface at its farthest point serving the applicant. Where a dead-end road crosses areas of differing zoned parcel sizes, requiring length limits, the shortest allowable length shall apply.
B.
Where parcels are zoned five acres or larger, turnarounds shall be provided at a maximum of one-thousand-three-hundred-twenty-foot intervals.
C.
Each dead-end road shall have a turnaround constructed at its terminus.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
All driveways shall provide a minimum ten-foot traffic lane and fourteen-foot unobstructed horizontal clearance and unobstructed vertical clearance of fifteen feet along their entire length.
A.
Driveways exceeding one hundred fifty feet in length, but less than eight hundred feet in length, shall provide a turnout near the midpoint of the driveway. Where the driveway exceeds eight hundred feet, turnouts shall be provided no more than four hundred feet apart.
B.
A turnaround shall be provided at all building sites on driveways over three hundred feet in length, and shall be within fifty feet of the building.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
Gate entrances shall be at least two feet wider than the width of the traffic lane(s) serving that gate, with a minimum width of fourteen feet.
B.
All gates providing access from a road to a driveway shall be located at least thirty feet from the roadway and shall open to allow a vehicle to stop without obstructing traffic on that road.
C.
Where a one-lane road with a single traffic lane provides access to a gated entrance, a turnaround with a forty-foot turning radius shall be provided near the gate.
D.
Gates shall be equipped with a Knox Rapid Entry System, as approved by the fire jurisdiction having authority for emergency responder access.
E.
Private gates are prohibited on county-maintained roads and private roads that have been dedicated or designed for public use.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
To facilitate locating a fire and to avoid delays in response, all newly constructed or approved roads, streets, and buildings shall be designated by names or numbers, posted on signs clearly visible and legible from the roadway. This section shall not restrict the size of letters or numbers appearing on street signs for other purposes.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Size of letters, numbers, and symbols for street and road signs shall be a minimum four-inch letter height, one-half-inch stroke, reflectorized, contrasting with the background color of the sign.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Street and road signs shall be visible and legible from both directions of vehicle travel for a distance of at least one hundred feet.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Height of street and road signs shall be uniform countywide, and meet the visibility and legibility standards of this chapter.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Newly constructed or approved public and private roads and streets must be identified by a name or number through a consistent countywide system that provides for sequenced or patterned numbering and/or nonduplicating naming within each county. All signs shall be mounted and oriented in a uniform manner. This section does not require any entity to rename or renumber existing roads or streets, nor shall a roadway providing access only to a single commercial or industrial occupancy require naming or numbering.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Signs required by this chapter identifying intersecting roads, streets and private lanes shall be placed at the intersection of those roads, streets and/or private lanes.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A sign identifying traffic access or flow limitations, including but not limited to weight or vertical clearance limitations, dead-end road, and one-way road (or single-lane conditions), shall be placed: (A) at the intersection preceding the traffic access limitation, and (B) no more than one hundred feet before such traffic access limitation.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Road, street and private lane signs required by this chapter shall be installed prior to final acceptance by the local jurisdiction of road improvements.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
All buildings shall be issued an address by the local jurisdiction which conforms to that jurisdiction's overall address system. Accessory buildings will not be required to have a separate address; however, each dwelling unit within a building shall be separately identified.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Size of letters, numbers and symbols for addresses shall be a minimum four-inch letter height, one-half-inch stroke, reflectorized, contrasting with the background color of the sign.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
All buildings shall have a permanently posted address, which shall be placed at each driveway entrance and visible from both directions of travel along the road. In all cases, the address shall be posted at the beginning of construction and shall be maintained thereafter, and the address shall be visible and legible from the road on which the address is located.
B.
Address signs along one-way roads shall be visible from both the intended direction of travel and the opposite direction.
C.
Where multiple addresses are required at a single driveway, they shall be mounted on a single post.
D.
Where a roadway provides access solely to a single commercial or industrial business, the address sign shall be placed at the nearest road intersection providing access to that site.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Emergency water for wildfire protection shall be available and accessible in quantities and locations specified in Public Resources Code Section 4290 et seq. and this chapter, in order to attack a wildfire or defend property from a wildfire. Such emergency water may be provided in a fire agency mobile water tender, or naturally occurring or manmade containment structure, as long as the specified quantity is immediately available. Nothing in this section prohibits the combined storage of emergency wildfire and structural fire fighting water supplies unless so prohibited by local ordinance or specified by the local fire district.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
Water systems shall meet or exceed the standards specified in the Public Utilities Commission of California General Order No. 103, as amended March 9, 1994, Section VIII, Fire Protection Standards, and other applicable sections relating to fire protection water delivery systems. Static water systems shall equal or exceed the National Fire Protection Association Standard 1142, Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting, 2012 Edition, and California Fire Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 9. Mobile water systems shall meet or exceed the Insurance Services Offices Rural Class 8, February 2003 publication.
B.
The quantity of emergency water storage required for a single-family dwelling shall be at least two thousand five hundred gallons. The minimum quantity of emergency water required for multiple-family dwellings and commercial properties shall be established by the appropriate local fire district. For single-family dwellings, a fire impact fee of nine hundred dollars per dwelling unit may be paid to the appropriate local fire district in lieu of on-site storage of the required emergency water. The appropriate local fire district may set other reasonable in-lieu fees for uses other than single-family dwellings.
C.
The fire protection water system shall be installed and approved prior to completion of roadway construction where a community water system is provided, or before construction of any building where an individual system is provided.
D.
Installation of emergency water storage tanks shall be directed to AFPD if property location is within their fire district authority. You may contact AFPD at 209-223-6391 for additional information.
(Ord. 1799 § 4, 2020; Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
The hydrant or fire valve shall be eighteen inches above grade, at least eight feet from flammable vegetation, no closer than four feet nor farther than twelve feet from a roadway, and in a location where fire apparatus using it will not block the roadway. A three-foot clearance around the hydrant must be maintained at all times.
B.
The hydrant head shall be brass with a minimum of one two-and-one-half-inch NHT male outlet with cap for pressure systems and a four-and-one-half-inch NHT male outlet with cap for draft systems. Such hydrants shall be wet or dry barrel, as required by the delivery system. Guard posts shall be installed where necessary to protect exposed hydrants from vehicular damage.
C.
The hydrant serving any building shall be not less than fifty feet nor more than one-half mile by roadway from the building it is to serve, and be located at a turnout or turnaround along the roadway to that building.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Each hydrant or fire valve or access to water shall be identified as follows:
A.
If located along a road or driveway, a reflective blue marker, with a minimum dimension of three inches, shall be mounted on a fire retardant post. The post shall be within three feet of said hydrant/fire valve, with the marker no less than three feet or greater than five feet above the ground and visible from the road; or
B.
As specified in the State Fire Marshal's Guidelines for Fire Hydrant Markings Along State Highways and Freeways, May 1988 (California Department of Transportation, Traffic Manual, Chapter 6-03.4, "Location Markers–Fire Hydrants").
C.
Establish a database at plan intake to transfer locations of water storage systems to local fire district mapping for emergency use.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
To reduce the intensity of a wildfire by reducing the volume and density of flammable vegetation, the strategic siting of fuel modification and greenbelts shall provide (A) increased safety for emergency fire equipment and evacuating civilians; and (B) a point of attack or defense from a wildfire.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
All parcels one acre and larger shall provide a minimum thirty-foot setback for buildings and accessory buildings from all property lines and/or the center of a road. In order to demonstrate the same overall practical effect, a request for deviation must be accompanied by an easement or similar documentation of an irrevocable right to access the adjoining property to maintain a firebreak by removing and clearing away all flammable vegetation and other combustible growth within thirty feet of the building.
B.
For parcels less than one acre, provide for the same practical effect.
(Ord. 1799 § 5, 2020; Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Disposal, including chipping, burying, burning or removal to a landfill site approved by the local jurisdiction, of flammable vegetation and fuels caused by site development and construction, road and driveway construction, and fuel modification shall be completed prior to completion of road construction or final inspection of a building permit.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Subdivisions and other developments which propose greenbelts as a part of the development plan shall locate said greenbelts strategically, as a separation between wildland fuels and structures. The locations shall be approved by the inspection authority.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
The intent of this regulation is to provide guidance for implementation of Public Resources Code Section 4291(a) and (b), and minimize the spread of fire within a one-hundred-foot zone around a building or structure.
A.
A person that owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining any mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or any land that is covered with flammable material, and is within state responsibility area, shall do the following:
1.
Within thirty feet from each building or structure, maintain a firebreak by removing and clearing away all flammable vegetation and other combustible growth pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 4291(a). Single specimens of trees or other vegetation may be retained, provided they are well spaced, well pruned, and create a condition that avoids spread of fire to other vegetation or to a building or structure.
2.
Within the thirty-foot to one-hundred-foot zone (reduced fuel zone) from each building or structure (or to the property line, whichever is nearer to the structure), provide a fuel break by disrupting the vertical and/or horizontal continuity of flammable and combustible vegetation with the goal of reducing fire intensity, inhibiting fire in the crowns of trees, reducing the rate of fire spread, and providing a safer environment for fire fighters to suppress wildfire pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 4291(b).
B.
Any vegetative fuels identified as a fire hazard by the fire inspection official of the authority having jurisdiction shall be removed or modified, provided it is required by subsections (A)(1) and (2) of this section.
C.
Within the intent of the regulations, the fire inspection official of the authority having jurisdiction may approve alternative practices which provide for the same practical effects as the stated guidelines.
D.
Guidance for implementation of this regulation is contained in the publication "General Guidelines for Creating Defensible Space" as published by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection by resolution adopted on February 8, 2006.
E.
Fuel modification shall be required to a width of ten feet on each side of a road by reducing ground fuels to less than eighteen inches in height and by maintaining tree and shrub separations necessary to reduce fuel loading.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
A.
A fire management plan may be required for any project if the project will have a significant effect on the provisions of fire protection services or when such a plan is necessary to achieve the same practical effect as the requirements of this chapter.
B.
A fire management plan shall address the following:
1.
Impact on the pertinent fire protection agency's ability to provide service;
2.
Availability of fire protection water to the site;
3.
Ingress/egress and circulation, ability for vehicles to access two-lane roadways;
4.
Fire hazards existing within the project, including a fuel modification plan prepared by a registered professional forester when deemed necessary by the director;
5.
Requirements of this chapter that cannot be met due to project design or other constraints;
6.
Fire protection measures that are consistent with the provisions of this chapter or recognized fire protection standards; and
7.
Provisions for annual maintenance, which shall be included in development plans and road maintenance agreements, or as a condition of the permit of map approval.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Nothing in this chapter precludes Cal Fire from performing inspections or cursory audits to ensure compliance with the regulations.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Fees for (A) inspections for compliance with this chapter, (B) filing and evaluation of deviation requests, and (C) appeals of deviation denials shall be adopted by resolution of the board of supervisors.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for the first violation and a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation within a year. The third and each successive violation of this chapter in the period of one year shall constitute a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Each and every day on which any violation of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by any person shall constitute a separate violation hereof.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)
Criminal proceedings against persons for violations of this chapter shall not bar civil enforcement or abatement proceedings.
(Ord. 1778 § 2 (part), 2018)