Highland Municipal Code Ch. 15.16 California Wildland-Urban

§ 15.16.010. Adoption of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.¶

The California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, 2025 Edition (Part 7 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) including Chapter 1, Division II "Administration" as published by the international Code Council, is hereby adopted by reference together with the amendments, additions, deletions, and exceptions set forth in this chapter. One complete copy of the same is on file and is open for inspection by the public in the office of the city clerk and designated as the wildland-urban interface code for the city of Highland. The building official is hereby designated as the authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code.

(Ord. 477 § 11, 2025)

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§ 15.16.020. Purpose.¶

The purpose of this code is to establish minimum requirements to reduce the likelihood of life and property loss due to a wildfire through the use of performance and prescriptive requirements for construction and development in all fire hazard severity zones in local responsibility areas designated as a very high fire hazard severity zone, and increase the ability of buildings located in any fire hazard severity zone within wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas, to resist the intrusion of flames or burning embers projected by vegetation fire and contribute to a systematic reduction in conflagration losses and reduce the likelihood of life and property loss due to wildfire.

(Ord. 477 § 11, 2025)

Exceptions & meaning →

§ 15.16.030. California Wildland-Urban Interface Code amendments.¶

The following sections of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code are added and/or amended as follows:

A. Section 202 of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code is amended to include the following definition to read as follows:

FIRE SAFETY AREAS - Fire Safety Review Areas. Areas that correspond to the Fire Hazard Severity Zones and are mapped on the City's Fire Safety Overlay pursuant to the City's General Plan.

B. Section 404.2.1 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

404.2.1 Static water source access.
There shall be vehicular access, at least twelve (12) feet in width, to within at least ten (10) feet of any static water source including ponds, lakes, swimming pools, reservoirs and water storage tanks. Access shall be either to a plumbed outlet with two and one-half (2-1/2) inch National Hose Thread Fitting or directly to the source. This requirement shall be waived if the fire authority determines that the water source is sufficiently below the elevation of existing or proposed roads or driveways to make drafting of water from the source through a plumbed outlet infeasible, and that direct vehicular access to the water source would require an impractical extension of a road or driveway.

404.2.1 Static water source access.

There shall be vehicular access, at least twelve (12) feet in width, to within at least ten (10) feet of any static water source including ponds, lakes, swimming pools, reservoirs and water storage tanks. Access shall be either to a plumbed outlet with two and one-half (2-1/2) inch National Hose Thread Fitting or directly to the source. This requirement shall be waived if the fire authority determines that the water source is sufficiently below the elevation of existing or proposed roads or driveways to make drafting of water from the source through a plumbed outlet infeasible, and that direct vehicular access to the water source would require an impractical extension of a road or driveway.

C. Section 404.4.1 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

404.4.1 Hydrant identification.
Fire Hydrants shall be identified by a method specified by the fire authority.

D. Section 504.10.4 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

504.10.4 Eave-type attic ventilators.
Eave-type attic ventilators are prohibited.

E. Section 602.3.3 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

602.3.3 Additional fire protection plan requirements.
(a) A final fire protection plan and fuel modification area may be required to address areas around development projects of portions thereof that are adjacent or exposed to hazardous fire areas for the purpose of fire protection. The recommended width of the fuel modification area shall be determined by the responsible Fire Authority in conjunction with the Fire Department, but in no case shall it be less than the lot line one hundred (100) feet in width as measured from the development structure(s) perimeter. The width of the fuel modification area shall be determined based upon:
(1) The natural ungraded slope of the land within the project and in the areas adjacent to the project;
(2) Fuel loading;
(3) Access to the project and access directly to the fuel modified area;
(4) The on-site availability of water that can be used for firefighting purposes;
(5) Adequate provisions shall be made for the continual maintenance of such areas, and, where feasible, such areas shall be designated as common open space rather than private open space.
(6) Fuel modification areas shall also incorporate soil erosion and sediment control measures to alleviate permanent scarring and accelerated erosion.
(b) When development projects are phased, individual phases may be required to provide temporary fuel modification areas, where the development perimeter of a phase is contiguous to a subsequent phase of a project, which in its undeveloped state is a hazardous fire area. The need for a temporary fuel modification area shall be determined by the responsible fire authority in conjunction with the Fire Department.

F. Section 604.6 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

604.6 Unusual circumstances.
The fire code official may suspend enforcement and require reasonable alternative measures designed to advance the purposes of this chapter if they determine in any specific case that any of the following conditions exist:
1. Difficult terrain.
2. Danger of erosion.
3. Presence of plants included in any state or federal resources agencies, California Native Plant Society, and County approved list of wildlife, plants, rare, endangered and/or threatened species.
4. Stands or groves of trees or heritage trees.
5. Other unusual circumstances that make strict compliance with the clearance of vegetation provisions of this chapter undesirable or impractical.

G. Section 609.2.8 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

609.2.8 Slope development.
Structures in areas with slopes exceeding thirty percent (30%) and thirty feet (30') in height shall comply with the following:
(a) Where structures are proposed or within two hundred (200) feet of slopes that are greater than thirty percent (30%) prior to grading and where such slopes are at least thirty (30) feet in height, the vegetation on such slopes shall be treated in such a manner that it becomes a fuel modified area. Such fuel modified area shall be maintained for either the entire slope, or one hundred (100) feet, or to the property line, whichever distance is less.
(b) Where grading is utilized which does not conform to the natural slope and the graded area is adjacent to natural ungraded slopes which are greater than thirty percent (30%) and which are greater than thirty (30) feet in height, structures shall be set back at least thirty (30) feet from the edge(s) of the graded area adjacent to such natural ungraded slopes.

I. Section 610.3 is hereby added to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

610.3 Project design requirements.
(1) All development projects and each phase thereof, except for a development project located exclusively on a cul-de-sac, shall have a minimum of two (2) points of vehicular ingress and egress, designed to City roadway standards, with a minimum width of twenty-four 24 feet of all-weather surface as defined in the California Fire Code, from existing and surrounding streets. One such point of vehicular access may be an emergency access route with an all-weather surface if the Community Development Department makes and justifies all of the following findings:
(a) Two points of non-emergency access are physically infeasible.
(b) Provisions have been made to reasonably ensure that the emergency access will be maintained.
(c) Based on the review and consideration of the Fire Authority's recommendation, the emergency access route will provide adequate vehicular ingress and egress during emergencies.
(2) All development projects shall provide eight (8) inch or larger circulating (loop) water mains as required by the California Fire Code, proper hydrant location and spacing, and have sufficient water storage capacity to provide the minimum fire flow duration requirements (gallons per minute (GPM) for a minimum number of hours or portions thereof) as specified by the minimum system standards established by the Fire Authority. Circulating (loop) mains are not required for cul-de-sacs and are not required for subdivisions that exclusively take all access from cul-de-sacs. In areas not served by water purveyors, on-site fire flow and water storage requirements will be as specified by the California Fire Code.
(3) All public or private streets within or bordering a development project shall have noncombustible and reflective street name signs designed to City standards and visible at all street intersections.

(Ord. 477 § 11, 2025)

Exceptions & meaning →