Shasta County Municipal Code Ch. 8.08 Fire Hazard Regulations

A. No person shall, within that portion of the county classified pursuant to Section 4125 of the Public Resources Code as local responsibility, burn any waste, trash, dry grass or other inflammable material out-of-doors unless a permit has first been issued therefor by the county fire warden or his duly authorized agent, which may include the California Division of Forestry.

B. No burning shall be done except in strict accordance with the terms of the permit applicable to the burning.

C. The provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 4421) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of Part 2 of the Public Resources Code are applicable to all permits issued under this section.

D. Issuance of a permit under this section does not authorize the violation of any air pollution control ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the proposed burning.

E. This section does not apply to campfires. For purposes of this section, "campfire" means a fire used solely for cooking food, personal warmth, lighting, ceremonial or aesthetic purposes, not within any building, mobile home or living accommodation mounted on a motor vehicle. However, exemption from the permit requirements of this section does not authorize any fire to be set, caused or maintained in any manner that violates any provision of this code or any other law.

F. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor.

(Prior code §§ 3442, 3860(B), (C), (D), (E))

Any person who shall, within that portion of the county designated as local responsibility under the provisions of Section 4125 of the Public Resources Code, permit any fire hazard to exist on premises under his control or who shall fail to take immediate action to abate a fire hazard when ordered or notified to do so by the county fire warden or his duly authorized representative, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Such notice of abatement shall be in writing and either served personally upon such person or mailed to him by registered mail at his last known address. Such notice shall set forth a time limit for compliance dependent upon the hazard and danger created by the violation and the action necessary for abatement. Such notice may be modified at any time by the county fire warden in writing served upon such person in the same manner as the original notice.

(Prior code § 3443)

The fire warden shall investigate the origin, cause and circumstances of every fire occurring within the county involving loss of life or injury to persons or property. If any fire appears to be of suspicious origin, the fire warden shall take immediate charge of all physical evidence relating to the cause of the fire and shall pursue the investigation to its conclusion. This section does not apply to fires located solely within the boundaries of any special district that provides fire protection services, if the district conducts, or causes to be conducted, an investigation equivalent to that required to be conducted by the fire warden. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the fire warden to provide assistance to any special district or other public agency in the investigation of fires occurring anywhere within the county.

(Prior code § 3850)

The fire warden shall develop and implement a fire and life safety inspection program for the periodic inspection of all buildings, other than single-family dwellings and related accessory buildings, that are subject to the Uniform Fire Code or county development standards. The fire and life safety inspection program shall, at minimum, satisfy the requirements of Health and Safety Code sections 13146.2 and 13146.3, as they currently exist and as they may be amended.

Pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13146.4, as it now exists and as it may be amended, the fire warden shall report annually to the board of supervisors on the fire warden's compliance with Health and Safety Code sections 13146.2 and 13146.3, as they currently exist and as they may be amended. This report shall occur at a time determined by resolution of the board of supervisors.

(Prior code § 3851)

(Ord. No. 2019-03, § I, 5-21-2019)