Santa Maria Municipal Code Ch. 9-28 Fire Prevention Code

The California Fire Code (CFC), 2025 Edition, as published and adopted by the State of California, and subsequent Editions as adopted by the State of California, are adopted by reference, subject to the additions, deletions and amendments set forth in this Chapter. Each amended Section of the California Fire Code is also renumbered by the addition of the characters "9-28." preceding the California Fire Code citation.

(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)

Chapters 1, 3, 4, 11, and 56 are adopted in their entirety. Additions, deletions, and/or amendments have been applied to Chapters 1, 3, 5, 9, and 56.

(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)

a. Section 101.1 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing the "Name of Jurisdiction," with "City of Santa Maria, California."

b. Section 101.2.1 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following sentence after "specifically adopted":

Appendices B, C, D, H, K, and O are adopted in their entirety, inclusive of the Santa Maria Fire Department Development Guidelines.

c. Section [A] 103.1 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing the "Name of Jurisdiction", with "City of Santa Maria, California.

d. Section [A] 103.3 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following text after, "inspectors and other employees":

A Fire Investigation unit is established within the fire department under the direction of the Fire Chief or his/her designee. All members of the Fire Investigation Unit shall, upon completion of requirements as set forth in California Penal Code Section 832, or any successor legislation, have the full power, authority, and immunity of a California peace officer as specified by Penal Code Section 830.37. The Fire Chief and other personnel authorized by the Fire Chief shall have the powers of police officers in performing duties under this Code, shall have the powers of peace officers as provided by California Penal Code Section 830.37 and shall have the authority to issue citations.

e. Section [A] 105.1.1 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following text after the word "permit" in the first paragraph:

The Fire Chief or his/her designee may require fire protection system design plans to be stamped and signed by a Fire Protection Engineer registered in California when, in the opinion of the Chief, review of a Fire Protection Engineer is necessary to ensure compliance with the Fire Code.

f. Section [A] 108.2 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following text:

The Fire Chief or his/her designee is authorized to collect fees for services as established or modified by resolution of the City Council. The Fire Chief or his/her designee shall review the fees charged for such services at least once annually and may, with the approval of the City Manager, recommend changes to the City Council when the costs for such services are not commensurate with existing fees.

Fire Department plan reviews may be performed by approved third party contractors as determined by the Fire Chief. Fees for third party plan reviews shall be paid by the permit applicant, and shall be based on the amounts designated in contractual agreements between the Fire Department and third-party vendor.

g. Section [A] 110.3 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by the insertion of the following text after "official" at the end of the second paragraph:

Compliance with this section shall be fulfilled by submittal of all inspection, testing, and maintenance records to The Compliance Engine, an entity under contract to the City.

h. Section [A] 112.1 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following text:

In order to hear and decide appeals of orders, decisions or determinations made by the Fire Code Official relative to the application and interpretations of this Code, there shall be and is hereby created a Board of Appeals, consisting of members who are qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to hazards of fire, explosions, hazardous conditions, or fire protection systems, and who are not employees of the jurisdiction. The Fire Code Official shall be an ex officio member to said Board but shall have no vote upon any matter before the Board. The Board of Appeals shall be appointed by the City Council and shall hold office at its pleasure. The Board shall adopt rules of procedure for conducting its business and shall render all decisions and findings in writing to the appellant with a duplicate copy to the Fire Code Official.

i. Section [A] 112.2 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following text:

The Board of Appeals shall have no authority relative to interpretation of the administrative provisions of this Code, nor shall the Board be empowered to waive requirements of this Code.

j. Section [A] 112.3 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by inserting the following text after "jurisdiction":

A fee, as provided in the current City of Santa Maria Schedule of Fees and Charges, shall accompany an application for a hearing before the Board of Appeals.

k. Section [A] 113.4 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following text:

Persons who shall violate a provision of the Santa Maria Municipal Code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, install, alter, repair or do work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the Fire Chief or his/her designee, 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 one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment not exceeding one hundred eighty (180) calendar days, or both such fine and imprisonment for each violation. Each day that a violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense. The Fire Chief or his/her designee may also cause an Administrative action to be initiated in accordance with Title 1, Chapters 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, and 1-9 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code.

l. Section [A] 114.4 of Chapter 1 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following text:

Any person who shall continue any work after having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties set forth in Section 9-28. [A] 113.4 of this Code.

(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)

a. Section 307.1.1 of Chapter 3 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following text:

Open burning is prohibited within City limits, except as provided in CFC Section 307.4.2, "Recreational fires", CFC Section 307.4.3, "Portable outdoor fireplaces", or by a single use permit issued by the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief or his/her designee is authorized to require the discontinuance of any use, process, equipment, or activity involving open flame, burning, smoking, barbecuing/cooking, or any similar activity regardless of purpose or function when the Fire Chief or his/her designee determines that such activity, equipment, or use is hazardous, offensive, or creates a nuisance.

b. Section 311.2 of Chapter 3 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following text after the existing paragraph, ending with "through 311.2.3":

The owner, occupant, or other person having under their control any property or materials on property damaged by fire or other disaster, when access by the public is possible, shall secure the property either by boarding up all openings, fencing, barricading, or other appropriate measures as approved by the Fire Chief or his/her designee. Within seven (7) calendar days after written notice by the Fire Chief or his/her designee to do so has been served, all debris, and/or damaged materials shall be removed from the property and deposited in accordance with Federal, State, and Local requirements or proof that contractual arrangements have been made for demolition, replacement, or repair of all fire or disaster damaged structures remaining on the property shall be submitted to the Fire Chief.

c. Section 311.2.1 of Chapter 3 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following after the existing paragraph, ending with "safety":

The Fire Chief or his/her designee shall be empowered to initiate necessary actions to secure property damaged by fire or other disaster and/or remove and dispose of debris, and other damaged materials when, after giving notice to the owner of record of the property, the owner fails to secure the property and/or remove debris within (7) calendar days of written notice to the owner, as ordered by the Fire Chief or his/her designee.

The Fire Chief or his/her designee is authorized to initiate legal action to recover the costs of securing property damaged by fire or other disaster and/or removing and disposing of debris, and other damaged materials when, after giving notice to the owner of record of the property, the owner fails to secure the property and/or remove debris within (7) calendar days, and the City provides the service either through the use of City resources or a contractor.

(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)

a. Section 503.2. of Chapter 5 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted and replaced in its entirety by the following:

Fire lanes shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 24 feet, excluding shoulders, when the height of a building does not exceed 30 feet. Buildings with heights in excess of 30 feet will comply with CFC Appendix D, aerial access roads. All roof height dimensions shall be measured on a vertical plane from the lowest level of vehicular access to the eave of a pitched roof, the intersection of the roof to the exterior wall, or the top of parapet walls, whichever is higher.

When multiple lanes are proposed in a fire access roadway, each lane shall not be less than 14 feet in width. If a 14-foot opening is utilized, there must be a minimum of a 30-foot approach and a 30-foot departure for a total of 60 feet in a straight line. As the opening increases, the approach and departure dimensions may be decreased at the discretion of the Fire Chief.

Overhead utility and power lines shall not be located above or within 30 feet (measured horizontally from the edge of fire lane to the nearest utility or power line) of Fire Lanes.

b. Section 503.2.7 of Chapter 5 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is deleted and replaced in its entirety by the following:

The grade of the fire apparatus access road shall be within the limits established by the fire chief or his/her designee based on the fire department's apparatus; however, no grade will exceed twelve (12) percent. Grade transitions shall not exceed City of Santa Maria Fire Department apparatus maximum approach and departure angles as determined by the fire chief or his/her designee.

c. Section 503.5 of Chapter 5 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following text after "ASTM F2200" at the end of the first paragraph:

All electrically operated gates which are installed across required fire access roads, lanes, or pathways shall have an access switch approved by the Fire Chief or his/her designee. The switch shall be installed so the gate will remain in the open position until re-set by the fire department. The gate shall have a manual means of opening in the event of a power failure and shall be accessible from the exterior of the property. In addition to the switch, a fire-department — approved strobe device shall be installed for rapid access through vehicle access gates for emergency vehicles. Strobe switches shall activate the gate system when approached by Fire Department apparatus equipped with standard Fire Department emitters.

d. Section 505.1 of Chapter 5 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended as follows: Replace "4 inches high with a minimum stroke width of 1/2 inches" with, "6 inches high with a minimum stroke width of one inch".

Insert the following text after the preceding revision and before the sentence beginning with "Where required": Commercial, industrial, and multi-family residential occupancies shall provide address numbers with a minimum height of 12" and a minimum stroke width of 1.5". Larger numbers may be required for exterior elevations with setbacks or building features that minimize visibility.

Exception: Or as otherwise approved by the Fire Code Official.

(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)

a. Section 903.2.1.1, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

b. Section 903.2.1.3, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

c. Section 903.2.1. 4, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

d. Section 903.2.2.1 is added to Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code stating the following:

All Group B occupancies other than those described in Section 903.2.2 shall be equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system throughout the building when the gross floor area is more than 5,000 square feet.

e. Section 903.2.3, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

f. Section 903.2.4, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

g. Section 903.2.7, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

h. Section 903.2.9, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

i. Section 903.2.10, Item 1, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by replacing "12,000" with "5,000".

j. Section 903.2.10, Item 2, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by deleting the exception for R-3 Occupancies.

k. Section 907.7.2, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by deleting the entire text and replacing the text with the following:

The permittee shall provide a record of completion in accordance with NFPA 72 verifying that the system has been installed and tested in accordance with the approved plans and specifications; and a copy of a serially numbered certificate issued to the permittee by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., or other nationally recognized authority, certificating the system. Certification shall be required for all new systems including fire sprinkler monitoring systems and shall be required for any existing systems that produce three or more false alarm activations within a calendar year, and for systems that become unreliable due to dilapidation or deterioration. Certification is required for the life of the system. The copy of the certificate shall be presented to the Fire Chief or his/her designee prior to the final permit inspection or clearance of a violation/correction notice.

Exception: Group R Division 3 occupancies.

l. Section 907.8.4, of Chapter 9 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following text after "maintained" at the end of the first paragraph:

False alarms shall be regulated in accordance with SMMC Section 5-2.09(b). A cost recovery fee for false alarms will be as set forth in the City of Santa Maria User Fees Schedule.

(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)

(a) Section 5601.1.3, of Chapter 56 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by adding the following text after "prohibited" at the end of paragraph 1:

Safe and sane fireworks, as defined by Section 12529 of the California Health and Safety Code, may be sold and possessed during the period beginning at twelve noon (12:00 p.m.) on the 28th day of June and ending at eleven PM (11:00 p.m.) on the 4th day of July. Safe and sane fireworks may only be ignited between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on the 4th of July.

(b) Section 5601.2.3, of Chapter 56 of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition, is amended by addition of the following text after "stored" at the end of Paragraph 1:

Permits for the sale, storage, and transportation of Safe and Sane Fireworks shall be issued in accordance with requirements established by the Santa Maria Fire Department, and CCR Title 19, Division 1, Chapter 6, Article 13. Fireworks stands and sales areas shall be free from any conditions which increase, or may cause an increase of, the hazard of fire or explosion or which may become the cause of any obstruction, delay or hindrance to prevention, suppression or extinguishment of fire.

(Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)