Section 101 — SCOPE AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

[A] 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code of [ NAME OF JURISDICTION ], hereinafter referred to as “this code.”

[A] 101.2 Scope. This code applies to building materials, systems and/or assemblies used in the exterior design and construction of new buildings located within a wildland-urban interface (WUI) area and contains minimum requirements to mitigate conditions that might cause a fire originating in a structure to ignite vegetation in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) area, and conversely, a wildfire burning in vegetative fuels to transmit fire to buildings and threaten to destroy life, overwhelm fire suppression capabilities or result in large property losses.

[A] 101.2.1 Appendices. Provisions in the appendices shall not apply unless specifically adopted.

[A] 101.3 Purpose. The purpose of this code is to establish minimum regulations for the safeguarding of life and for property protection. Regulations in this code are intended to mitigate the risk to life and structures from intrusion of fire from wildland fire exposures and fire exposures from adjacent structures and to mitigate structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels. The extent of this regulation is intended to be tiered commensurate with the relative level of hazard present.

The unrestricted use of property in wildland-urban interface areas is a potential threat to life and property from fire and resulting erosion. Safeguards to prevent the occurrence of fires and to provide adequate fire protection facilities to control the spread of fire in wildland-urban interface areas shall be in accordance with this code.

This code shall supplement the jurisdiction’s building and fire codes, if such codes have been adopted, to provide for special regulations to mitigate the fire- and life-safety hazards of the wildland-urban interface areas.

101.3.1 Application. New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone or Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Area designated by the enforcing agency constructed after the application date shall comply with the provisions of this code. This shall include all new buildings with residential, commercial, educational, institutional or similar occupancy type use, which shall be referred to in this code as “applicable buildings,” as well as new buildings and structures accessory to those applicable buildings.

Exceptions: 1. Group U occupancy accessory buildings of any size located at least 50 feet (15 240 mm) from an applicable building on the same lot.

2. Group U occupancy agricultural buildings, as defined in Section 202 of the California Building Code of any size located at least 50 feet (15 240 mm) from an applicable building. 3. Group C occupancy special buildings conforming to the limitations specified in Section 450.4.1 of the California Building Code. 4. New accessory buildings and miscellaneous structures specified in Section 504.11 shall comply only with the requirements of that section.

n 202 of the California Building Code of any size located at_ least 50 feet (15 240 mm) from an applicable building. 3. Group C occupancy special buildings conforming to the limitations specified in Section 450.4.1 of the California Building Code. 4. New accessory buildings and miscellaneous structures specified in Section 504.11 shall comply only with the requirements of that section.

5. Additions to and remodels of buildings originally constructed prior to July 1, 2008.

101.3.1.1 Application date and where required. New buildings for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after July 1, 2008, located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone or Wildland-Urban Interface Area shall comply with this code, including all of the following areas:

All unincorporated lands designated by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as State Responsibility Area (SRA) including:

Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Land designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by cities and other local agencies.

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

ADMINISTRATION

Land designated as a wildland-urban interface area by cities and other local agencies.

Exceptions: 1. New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within a State Responsibility Area, for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after January 1, 2008, shall comply with this code. 2. New buildings located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within a State Responsibility Area or any wildland-urban interface area designated by cities and other local agencies for which an application for a building permit is submit- ted on or after December 1, 2005, but prior to July 1, 2008, shall only comply with the following sections of this chapter: 2.1. Section 507 – Replacement or Repair of Roof Coverings.

2.2. Section 504.10 – Vents.

[A] 101.4 Retroactivity. The provisions of the code shall apply to conditions arising after the adoption thereof, conditions not legally in existence at the adoption of this code and conditions that, in the opinion of the code official, constitute a distinct hazard to life or property.

Exception: Provisions of this code that specifically apply to existing conditions are retroactive.

[A] 101.5 Additions or alterations. Additions or alterations shall be permitted to be made to any building or structure without requiring the existing building or structure to comply with all of the requirements of this code, provided that the addition or alteration conforms to that required for a new building or structure.

Exception: Provisions of this code that specifically apply to existing conditions are retroactive.

Additions or alterations shall not be made to an existing building or structure that will cause the existing building or structure to be in violation of any of the provisions of this code nor shall such additions or alterations cause the existing building or structure to become unsafe. An unsafe condition shall be deemed to have been created if an addition or alteration will cause the existing building or structure to become structurally unsafe or overloaded; will not provide adequate access in compliance with the provisions of this code or will obstruct existing exits or access; will create a fire hazard; will reduce required fire resistance or will otherwise create conditions dangerous to human life.

[A] 101.6 Maintenance. Buildings, structures, landscape materials, vegetation, defensible space or other devices or safeguards required by this code shall be maintained in conformance to the code edition under which installed. The owner or the owner’s authorized agent shall be responsible for the maintenance of buildings, structures, landscape materials and vegetation.