Piedmont Municipal Code Div. 8.14 Fire Hazard Abatement

A. Enforcement. The City Council establishes the Bureau of Fire Prevention within the City’s Fire Department, under the supervision of the Fire Chief. The Bureau of Fire Prevention will enforce the California Fire Code.

B. Fire Marshal. The Fire Marshal will be the person in charge of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, and he or she is appointed by the Fire Chief.

C. Peace officer authority. The Fire Chief, members of the Fire Prevention Division, and personnel assigned as fire arson investigators are peace officers and have the powers established in California Penal Code section 830.37(a). Other members of the Fire Department are peace officers and have the powers established in California Penal Code section 830.37(b).

The Chief of the Piedmont Fire Department or his designee may abate a violation of this division or the California Fire Code, as amended and adopted by the City of Piedmont, or any fire hazard within the City of Piedmont and may make the expense of abatement (1) a personal obligation of the property owner or other responsible person, and (2) a lien against the property on which the fire hazard existed or was maintained. Fire hazard abatement, recovery of costs, and imposition of liens shall be abated in accordance with the provisions of chapter 6 of the City Code.

Due to the unique topography and geography of the City, unchecked fire fuel loads, and lack of vegetation management create a fire hazard and may potentially impede emergency vehicle access in the event of natural disaster, thereby jeopardizing public health and safety throughout the City. Therefore, the City Council hereby designates the entirety of the City of Piedmont, as Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).

Urban Interface

Chapter 8 – Building, Construction, and Fire Prevention All properties within the Wildland Urban Interface shall comply with building construction and vegetation management requirement in the adopted Wildland Urban Interface Code (Piedmont City Code 8.02.010.M.). Violations of the vegetation management standards in that code shall be deemed public nuisance subject to abatement uncer Shapter 6 of this Code. In addition, being subject to punishment as prescribed under Government Code section 51185, such violations may be enforced via administrative fine under Chapter 1 of this Code. Administrative fine amounts may be established by resolution of the City Council. (Ord 787 N.S. 12/2025)

Chapter 8 – Building, Construction, and Fire Prevention