Sec. 21-47. - Special fire prevention and suppression provisions.

(a)

Public interest in protecting Southern California's mountains from fire stems from the need to protect improvements below from the threat of aggravated flood damage due to burning of the vegetation, and to preserve the natural functions of these mountains as watersheds in absorbing rainfall needed to replenish underground water storage basins. Because of dry climate, combustible vegetation, and rugged terrain, fire hazard in these mountains is great and fire control is difficult.

(b)

Increasing population has complicated the mountain fire problem and has intensified the public health and safety aspects of watershed resource fire protection. Homes and other structures have been built in the mountain watersheds without regard to the hazards involved. Such development and use not only increases the chances of disastrous brush fires, but the dwellings and people themselves are exposed to serious fire threats.

(c)

Uncontrolled development of the hazardous mountain areas sets the scene for disaster. Structural fire losses from brush fires have been great, and losses have been increasing in recent years. Fire fighting forces alone cannot always furnish protection; measures to compensate for hazardous conditions must be planned and built into subdivisions.

(d)

The dominant vegetation in the county's mountainous areas is brush or chaparral—the dense growth of many shrub species, mainly chamise, scrub oak, manzanita and ceanothus. It makes pleasant surroundings for homesites, but it is deceptively flammable. The natural dryness of the brush, its structure, and dense growth present a fire hazard which becomes critical during the summer and fall months, especially when the hot, dry winds blow in from the deserts. This native brush is a good protective watershed cover, but in developed areas it is extremely hazardous around homes and communities.

(e)

The drying effects of several days of wind can evaporate the beneficial moisture of rain, creating fire weather conditions during the winter months. Disastrous fires can occur any month of the year.

(f)

The mountains in the county rise abruptly from densely populated valleys and coastal areas. These rugged mountains make fire control difficult because of the physical obstacles involved and the influence of the terrain on fire behavior. The same characteristics which intensify the fire problem—the rugged terrain, steep slopes, and loose soils—also intensify interlocking problems of flooding prevention and control, water supply and distribution, roads, and building construction.

(g)

Dense, dry, explosive brush growing on rugged slopes, ridges, and in canyons is a condition of environment which is hostile to uncontrolled development. Ever-increasing numbers of people have compounded the wildland fire problem and have made the protection of life and property of utmost importance.

(h)

In Southern California, subdivisions have been located within high fire hazard areas. In the county, encroachment of urban areas into the watershed lands—moving up the mountain slopes and into the canyons—into areas of increasing hazard and more difficult fire control has commenced and will increase.

(i)

The fire problem is no longer solely one of protecting a valuable natural resource—it is also one of people, lives, and property.

(j)

Direct fire losses and losses due to ensuing flood damage are costly to the individual and to the public. Public benefits must be protected, and the exposure charges of fire insurance in hazardous areas brought down to a level comparable to similar developments in other areas.

(k)

Mountain land considered for subdivision, or mountainous land within or adjacent to cities, is not "wildland"—it is undeveloped "urban" land. It must be regarded in this light and be developed properly. The development of private lands in Southern California is inevitable. Comprehensive land-use planning is necessary for orderly growth and realization of the full economic and social benefits of this resource.

(l)

Fire protection is a fundamental need—a common denominator—to man's safe habitation and use of these mountainous lands.

(m)

Elements of integrated fire protection planning include:

(1)

Topography. A study of the slopes and the relation of the proposed developments to the configuration of the land.

(2)

Land Use. A determination of centers of development, and zoning to include the various residential, business, agricultural, and manufacturing districts, the location of schools, and the location of open areas such as parks, green belts, and golf courses.

(3)

Traffic Flow. The road network, consisting of arterial and collector streets, should circulate to provide for fire access and public evacuation.

(4)

Water System. The distribution and source facilities should be of a design sufficient to support necessary fire flow.

(n)

Areas of extreme fire hazard shall be deemed to be special treatment areas. In general, areas of extreme fire hazard shall be deemed to be any area which is covered with a continuous or nearly continuous highly flammable vegetative growth as determined by the planning commission or the board of supervisors as provided in this division.

(o)

For the protection of present and future improvements and their users and occupants, the following fire safety requirements are recommended, and where appropriate, may be required:

(1)

Safe Ingress and Egress. Area development should provide for ready access as to fire and other emergency equipment and for routes of escape to safely handle evacuations. Therefore, road and street system designs should provide maximum circulation consistent with topography to meet fire safety needs and the following conditions or such of them as are appropriate may be imposed:

(A)

Require at least two different routes of entrance and egress to the subdivision or lot split.

(B)

Require a sixty-foot right-of-way for the construction of two twelve-foot traffic lanes, two eight-foot parking lanes, and two ten-foot roadside strips upon which the fire hazard should be abated.

(C)

Limit cul-de-sacs to six hundred feet terminated by a turn-around right-of-way of not less than ninety feet in diameter.

(D)

Street grades should be limited to ten percent except for such distances as topographic conditions make greater grades practical.

(E)

No street or road should have a centerline radius of less than fifty feet.

(F)

The responsible fire agency may remove and clear within twenty feet on each side of every roadway all flammable vegetation or other combustible growth and may enter upon private property to do so. This should not apply to single specimens of trees, ornamental shrubbery or cultivated ground cover such as green grass, ivy, succulents or similar plants used as ground covers provided that they do not form a means of readily transmitting fire. As used in this section "roadway" means that portion of a highway or private street improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.

(2)

Street Names and Numbers. To facilitate fire location and to avoid delays in response, all roads, streets, and buildings shall be designated by name or number clearly visible from the main traveled roadway.

(3)

Community Firebreaks. Firebreaks separating communities or clusters of structures from the native vegetation may be required. Such firebreaks would be more properly termed "fuel-breaks" or "green belts" because all vegetation need not be removed, but thinned out or landscaped so as to reduce the volume of fuel.

(A)

All easements for firebreaks for fire safety of built-up areas shall encompass access for fire fighting personnel and equipment, which may mean motorized travel in some cases; such easement shall be dedicated to this specific purpose by being recorded.

(B)

Community firebreaks shall be coordinated with overall firebreak and fuelbreak plans of the mountain area.

(4)

Fire Protection Water Facilities. Water is the most important single factor in fighting structural fires. Therefore, to assure adequate and reliable water supplies for community fire protection in hazardous areas, the following requirements or such of them as are appropriate may be imposed:

(A)

Except in rural desert and rural mountain areas with a planned population density of one or less dwelling per acre, the minimum size of water distribution mains on which fire hydrants are located shall be a minimum six inches in a system designed to permit circulating water flow as may be practical. Hydrant spacing shall not exceed six hundred and sixty feet with minimum fire flow of five hundred and fifty gallons per minute required for population densities of two or less single family residences per acre; for population densities of more than two dwellings per acre hydrant spacing shall not exceed three hundred and thirty feet with a minimum fire flow of seven hundred and fifty gallons per minute, and more where structural conditions require. Water source facilities shall have the capacity to support the required fire flow for a minimum duration of two hours in addition to the maximum daily flow requirements for other consumptive uses. Water storage may be required to assure the required minimum duration fire flow of two hours with the single most serious interruption to power lines, water mains, and to pump units.

The local fire authority may adjust the water quantities set forth on the basis of local conditions, exposure, congestion, and construction of buildings.

(B)

The size, type and location of fire hydrants shall meet the approval of the responsible fire authority and of applicable state and county regulations, with a minimum size of waterway not smaller than the size of the street main up to a nominal 6-inch size. A gate shall be placed on the connection between main and hydrants.

(C)

Those rural mountain and rural desert areas planned for a population density on one or less dwelling per acre shall be encouraged to obtain water service from a single system which shall conform to minimum state regulations as to pipe size and supply. Fire hydrants shall be installed at least each one-fourth mile with individual locations as near as possible to structures to be protected—specific locations to be approved by the responsible fire authority.

(D)

Those separately developed dwellings with an individual private water supply shall provide an acceptable guaranteed minimum supply of water, above the amount required for domestic needs, that will be adequate in the judgment of the fire authority for fire protection of the structures.

(5)

Refuse Disposal. All areas planned for intensive development shall include a suitable plan for the disposal of flammable refuse. Refuse disposal shall be in accord with county or local plans or ordinances, and shall not be less than state requirements. Where practical, disposal shall be by methods other than open burning.

(Ord. No. 1751, § 2)