Chino Municipal Code Ch. 15.31 Wildland-Urban Interface Code

There is adopted by reference the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, with errata, incorporating the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, that certain document, three copies of which are on file with the city of Chino, being marked and designated as 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, as copyrighted and published in 2025 by the International Code Council, including any additions, insertions, deletions, and changes prescribed in this chapter, regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from wildfire.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II, Scope and Administration Part I General Provisions, Section 101.1 shall be changed to read as follows:

101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code of the City of Chino, hereinafter referred to as "this code".

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part I General Provisions, Section 102.4.1 shall be changed to read as follows:

102.4.1 Conflicts. Where conflicts occur between provisions of this code and referenced codes and standards, the fire code official shall determine which provision meets the general intent of this code

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 104.7 shall be changed to read as follows:

104.7 Official Records. The jurisdiction shall keep official records as outlined by Sections 104.7.1 through 104.7.5. Such official records shall be retained for 3 years or as otherwise stipulated in the District's records retention policy.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 105.4.2 shall be changed to read as follows:

105.4.2 Time limitation of application. An application for a permit for any proposed work or operation shall be deemed to have been abandoned 180 days after the date of filing, unless a permit has been issued for said application; except that the fire code official is authorized to grant one or more extensions of time for additional periods not exceeding 180 days each and the Fire District may charge an extension fee as outlined in the adopted fee schedule. The extension shall be requested by a means acceptable to the jurisdiction and shall be justifiable.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 106.4 shall be changed to read as follows:

106.4 Vegetation management compliance. Prior to the building permit final approval, the property shall be compliance with the vegetation management requirements prescribed in Section 603, including California Public Resources Code 4291 or California Government Code Section 51182 and or the requirements prescribed in the District's Vegetation Management Ordinance as adopted by the jurisdiction. Acceptance methods of compliance inspection and documentation shall be determined by the enforcing agency and shall be permitted to include any of the following:

1. Local, state or federal fire authority or designee authorized to enforce vegetation management requirements.

2. Enforcing agency.

3. Third-party inspection and certification authorized to enforce vegetation management requirements.

4. Property owner certification authorized by the enforcing agency.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 108.5 shall be changed to read as follows:

108.5 Related fees. The payment of the fee for the construction, alteration, removal or demolition of work done in connection to or concurrently with the work or activity authorized by a permit shall not relieve the applicant or holder of the permit from the payment of other fees or penalties that are prescribed by law or adopted in the jurisdiction's fee schedule.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 109.3.7 shall be changed to read as follows:

109.3.7 Violation penalties. Persons who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall fail to obtain approval by the fire code official for the commencement of construction, alteration, or repair or who shall erect, install, alter, repair or do work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the fire code official, or of a permit or certificate used under provisions of this code, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than 1,000 dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense. In addition to, or in place of, the foregoing penalties, administrative penalties pursuant to the District's Administrative Citation Ordinance may be imposed in connection with any violation of this code or any District Ordinance. Any person violating or who has violated any section of this code or District Ordinance may be issued an administrative citation in accordance with the Administrative Citation Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 112.1 shall be changed to read as follows:

112.1 General. In order to hear and decide appeals of orders, decisions or determinations made by the fire code official relative to the application and interpretation of this code, there shall be and is hereby created a board of appeals. The board of appeals shall be selected by the Fire Chief and shall hold office as its pleasure. The fire code official shall be an ex officio member of said board but shall not have a vote on any matter before the board. The board shall adhere to the rules of procedure for conducting business and shall render all decisions and findings in writing to the appellant with a duplicate copy to the fire code official.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 112.5 shall be added to read as follows:

112.5 Appeals procedure. The applicant may file an appeal with the Fire District's Clerk of the Board within thirty (30) days of a final order, decision or determination made by the fire code official relative to the application and interpretation of this code. Upon receipt of an appeal, the Clerk of the Board shall fix the time and place of the hearing, which shall be at a District meeting facility not more than sixty (60) days after the date of the appeal. The Clerk of the Board shall give written notice of the time and place of the hearing to the initiating party, the Fire Chief, the fire code official and the Appeals Board. The Appeals Board shall keep a record of the proceedings of each hearing. The Appeals Board shall issue written findings and a decision within fifteen (15) days of the conclusion of the hearing which shall be mailed to the parties' first-class mail, postage prepaid, at such address as they have provided.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration, Part 2 Administration and Enforcement, Section 112.6 shall be added to read as follows:

112.6 Fees. The fire code official and staff shall act as staff to the Appeals Board and for that purpose may determine and set fees to charge the appellant to cover the cost of preparation of the record for appeal.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 6 Fire Protection Requirements, Section 602.1 shall be changed to read as follows:

602.1 General. The code official is authorized to require the owner or owner's authorized agent for all new buildings or developments to be built or installed in a wildland-urban interface area or designated fire hazard severity zone to prepare and submit a fire protection plan. The fire protection plan shall be prepared to determine the acceptability of fire protection and life safety measures designed to mitigate wildfire hazards presented for the property under consideration. The fire protection plan shall be prepared by a registered design professional, qualified landscape architect, qualified fire safety specialist or similar specialist acceptable to the fire code official and shall analyze the wildfire risk of the building, project, premises or region to recommend necessary changes. A preliminary fire protection shall be submitted to the Fire District for review prior to the submission of the final fire protection plan.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 6 Fire Protection Requirements, Section 602.2.1.1 shall be added to read as follows:

602.2.1 Permits. Permits shall be required as set forth in Section 105.1 of the 2025 California Wildland Urban Interface Code and Section 105.6 of the 2025 California Fire Code. Permits require that plans and specifications be submitted to the fire code official for review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit or the installation or alteration of landscaping or fuel modification of hazardous vegetation. All work shall be inspected and approved by the fire code official.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 6 Fire Protection Requirements, Section 602.2. shall be changed to read as follows:

4903.2 Contents. The fire protection plan shall be based on a project-specific wildfire hazard assessment that includes considerations of location, topography, aspect, climatic and fire history. The plan shall identify conformance with all applicable state wildfire protection regulations, statues and applicable local ordinances, whichever are more restrictive. The plan shall address fire department access, egress, road and address signage, water supply in addition to fuel reduction in accordance with Public Resources Code (PRC) 4290; the defensible space requirements in accordance with PRC 4291 or Government Code 51182; and applicable codes and standard for wildfire safety. The plan shall identify mitigation measures to address the project's specific wildfire risk and shall include the information required in Section 602.3 through 602.3.2. In addition to the requirements of Section 602.3 through 602.3.2, The fire protection plan shall be provided with recommendations for a fuel modification area. Fuel modification areas shall be included into all entitlement documents and shall include the requirements set forth Section 603. A minimum fuel modification of 100 feet is required from each structure within the development. The overall width of the fuel modification shall consider the findings in the project-specific wildfire hazard assessment.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 6 Fire Protection Requirements, Section 604.1 shall be changed to read as follows:

604.1 General. Hazardous vegetation and fuels shall be managed to reduce the severity of potential exterior wildfire exposure to buildings and to reduce the risk of fire spreading to buildings as required by applicable laws and regulations.

All elements of the final fire protection plan and fuel modification plans shall be maintained in accordance with said plans and are subject to the enforcement process outlined in the Section 109 and or the notice served to the property owner and or owners' agent.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)

Chapter 6 Fire Protection Requirements, Section 604.2 shall be changed to read as follows:

604.2 Application. Buildings and structures located in the following areas shall maintain the required hazardous vegetation and fuel management:

1. All unincorporated lands designated as a State Responsibility Area (SRA).

2. Land designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Zone by a city or local agency.

3. Land designated in a city or local agency ordinance as a wildland-urban interface (WUI) area.

In addition to the aforementioned, properties as required by the District's Vegetation Management Ordinance shall comply with the provisions set forth herein as well as the requirements set forth in the adopted Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2025-007, § 2, 2025.)