Solvang Municipal Code Ch. 2 Fire Prevention and Protection

The 2025 California Fire Code and 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code as adopted and amended by the Santa Barbara County board of supervisors in Chapter 15 of the Santa Barbara County Code are hereby ratified and adopted by reference as the fire code of the city.

(Ord. 16-324; Ord. 22-0360 § 2; Ord. 23-0367 § 1; Ord. 25-0385, 11/24/2025)

The fire code official for the Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District is hereby designated as the fire code official for the city of Solvang.

(Ord. 16-324, 2016; Ord. 23-0367 § 1; Ord. 25-0385, 11/24/2025)

The 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, is hereby adopted and enacted as amended as modified, amended, and/or supplemented as follows:

A. Section 101.3.1 of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code is hereby replaced in its entirety to read as follows:

101.3.1 Applications. New buildings, additions and alterations located in any Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone constructed after the application date shall comply with the provisions of this chapter. Only the altered area of existing building needs to comply with the provisions of this chapter unless otherwise exempted herein.

Exceptions:

1. Alterations to the existing buildings where less than 50% of roof framing is modified or replaced.

2. Alterations to the existing buildings where less than 50% of exterior walls exterior finish material is modified or replaced.

3. Buildings of an accessory character classified as a Group U occupancy and not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area, when located at least 30 feet from an applicable building.

4. Buildings of an accessory character classified as Group U occupancy of any size located at least 50 feet from an applicable building.

5. Buildings classified as a Group U Agricultural Building, as defined in Section 202 of this code (see also Appendix C – Group U Agricultural Buildings), when located at least 50 feet from an applicable building.

B. Section 202 of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code is hereby amended by adding or amending the following:

BOARD. The City Council of the City of Solvang

BUILDING AND STRUCTURES. Any structure intended for supporting or sheltering any occupancy. They are those buildings and structures, described within this Article VII, whether inhabited or not.

COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS. Are weeds, stubble, brush, rubbish, litter, dry grass, dry leaves or other flammable materials that are readily ignitable and endanger the public safety.

PARCEL. Is a portion of land of any size, the area of which is determined by the assessor's maps and records and may be identified by an assessor's parcel number whether or not any buildings or structures are present.

ZONE 0. A five-foot ember-resistant area required around structures in high-fire-hazard zones to reduce home ignition from wind-blown embers during wildfires. Zone 0 regulations require the use of hardscaping like concrete or pavers, removal of dead plants and debris from roofs and gutters, clearing of combustible items from decks and porches, and the replacement of combustible fences attached to the home with non-combustible alternatives.

C. Section 603.3.1 of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

1. Delineation of the 5-foot (1,524 mm), 30-foot (9,144 mm) and 100-foot (30,488 mm) fuel management zones from all structures.

2. Identification of ground coverings within the 5-foot (1,524 mm) to 30-foot (9,144 mm) zone, with adherence to PRC 4291 within the ember resistant zone (Zone 0) from 0-foot (o mm) to 5-foot (1,524 mm) from all structures.

D. Section 604.2 of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

1. Section All unincorporated lands designated as a State Responsibility Area (SRA).

2. Land designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by a city or local agency.

3. Land designated in a city or local agency ordinance as a wildland-urban interface (WUI) area.

E. Section 613 is added to the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code to read as follows:

613.1 Applicability. The provisions shall be applicable to all areas within the Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District.

613.2 Prohibited disposal of combustible material. No person shall place, deposit or dump combustible material, which in the opinion of the code official constitutes a fire hazard, on a parcel, whether or not he owns such parcel, or whether or not he so places, deposits or dumps on such parcel with the consent of the owner thereof, hazard shall be cleared of combustible material to the satisfaction of the fire code official.

613.4 Clearance of brush or vegetative growth from roadways. The fire code official is authorized to require areas within 10 feet on each side of portions of Fire Apparatus Access Roads and driveways to be cleared of non-fire-resistive vegetation growth.

Exception: Single specimens of trees, ornamental vegetative fuels or cultivated ground cover, such as green grass, ivy, succulents or similar plants used as ground cover, provided they do not form a means of readily transmitting fire.

613.5 Clearance of fire protection equipment, ground-mounted photovoltaic panel systems and utilities is amended to read as follows:

A minimum of 30 feet of defensible space shall be maintained around communication towers, non fire-resistive water tanks, water supply pumps, pump houses, generators and ground-mounted photovoltaic panel systems which are 1,500 square feet or greater in combined panel area.

613.6 Prosecution. The fire chief shall serve a written order upon the owner or possessor of a parcel, when, in his or her opinion, a fire hazard exists upon a parcel. The order shall identify the fire hazard and direct such owner or possessor to remove or abate the fire hazard within a specified period of time, but not less than ten days, after such order is given. Every owner or possessor who fails or refuses to abate said fire hazard from such parcel within the time specified after being served with such order is guilty of an infraction as described in Title 1, Chapter 3 of the Solvang Municipal Code. Evidence that the current assessment roll of the County shows real property assessed to a person shall constitute prima facie evidence that such person is the owner of such property.

613.7 Order to abate fire hazard — Notice. The chief shall send, by certified mail, a copy of the written order providing information specified in section 4911.6, and shall include an assessor's parcel number of the parcel set forth on the county assessment roll, to the last assessee of the parcel at the address given on such roll. In addition, the order shall provide the specific date, time and location of when the City of Solvang City Council will meet to hear the report of the fire chief regarding the alleged fire hazard, and include the following:

"WARNING: The Fire Chief has determined that a fire hazard exists on this parcel. If not abated, the Fire Chief or his designee, shall enter and remove or abate the fire hazard by cutting, burning or removing the flammable material. THE COST OF SUCH REMOVAL WILL BE COLLECTED BY ADDING IT ONTO THE TAXES ASSESSED AGAINST THIS Parcel. ANY OWNER OR POSSESSOR INTENDING TO ABATE THIS FIRE HAZARD AT HIS OWN EXPENSE SHOULD DO SO IMMEDIATELY." The chief shall post each notice to abate, including the legal description in some conspicuous place in the office of the clerk of the board of supervisors. It shall be the responsibility of the owner of record in the current assessment roll to notify any new owner or possessor of the parcel of the notice that was received and forward the notice to the new owner or possessor of the parcel. It shall also be the responsibility of the current owner of record to notify the fire department of this change in ownership.

613.8 Order to abate fire hazard — Posting Location. The chief may, in addition to mailing, have a written order posted in front of any parcel upon which a fire hazard exists, or, if such parcel does not front upon any street, highway or road, then either upon the portion of such parcel nearest to a street, highway or road or upon such portion that is likely to give actual notice to the owner or lawful possessor.

613.9 Order to abate fire hazard — Posting Time. The order provided for in Sec. 4911.8 shall be posted at least ten days before the board meets to hear the report of the chief regarding the alleged fire hazard.

613.10 Hearing. At the time and place stated in the written orders, the board shall meet to hear the report of the chief and any objections thereto. The chief or his designated representative shall attend, inform the board as to the alleged fire hazard and supply the legal description of the parcel upon which it exists, the name and address of the last known assessee thereof and state what he has done in order to give notice of the hearing according to the provisions of this article. The board may continue from time to time as it sees fit.

613.11 City Council' direction to abate fire hazard. If, after a hearing, the board finds that a fire hazard exists upon a parcel, it may direct the chief to abate the hazard. The board shall maintain a record of its proceedings at such hearing and retain therewith the report of the chief, a legal description of such a lot or land and, where available, the name and address of its last known assessee

613.12 Abatement procedure. Fire Chief authorized to expend funds, contract, etc. If the board directs the chief to abate a fire hazard, he shall proceed to abate such hazard unless it has been abated, completely, before his agents arrive to begin such abatement. The chief may expend appropriated funds for such abatement and may contract with a person or persons for the performance of the work of such abatement.

613.13 Account of expenses — Report to be filed with the City Council. The chief shall keep an account of his expenses when abating a fire hazard pursuant to the direction of the City Council, and file a report with the board. The report shall include the assessor's tax area and parcel numbers according to the county assessment roll of the parcel upon which such fire hazard existed and, when available, the name and address of the last known assessee. The report shall include a reasonable administrative cost in an amount to be fixed by the board from time to time, based on administrative costs of carrying out these regulations.

613.14 Account of expenses — Filing with clerk — Confirmation hearing. The report of expenses referred to in section 4911.13 shall be maintained on file, open to public inspection, in the office of the clerk of the board for at least ten days before a hearing of the board to confirm such report. If any person shall, before the expiration of such ten days, file a written request for notice of the hearing upon such confirmation, the board shall mail such notice to the address supplied in any such written request. At the time fixed for such hearing, the board shall meet to hear any objections to the report of expenses filed by the chief as required by this section. At such hearing the board may make any modifications in the amount it deems just, after which the report shall be confirmed.

613.15 Expenses constitute special assessment and lien. The amount of expenses incurred by the chief for abating a fire hazard shall constitute a special assessment and a lien against the parcel from which such hazard was removed.

613.16 Expense report to be transmitted to auditor — controller. The board shall deliver a copy of the expense report, as confirmed, to the auditor-controller of the county.

613.17 Inclusion of assessment on property tax bill — Disposition of revenue. The county auditor controller shall enter the amount stated in the report as a special assessment against the parcel described in the report. The tax collector of the county shall include the amount of the assessment on the bill for taxes levied against the parcel. All laws applicable to the levy, collection and enforcement of county taxes are applicable to such special assessments. All special assessments collected as provided in this article shall be accounted for as fire district revenue.

(Ord. 25-0385, 11/24/2025)

Where other codes and standards are referred to in the code adopted in section 10-2-1 of this chapter, the following shall apply:

A. International Building Code means the 2025 California Building Code or the 2025 California Residential Code, as applicable.

B. International Plumbing Code means the 2025 California Plumbing Code.

C. International Fuel Gas Code means the 2025 California Plumbing Code.

D. International Mechanical Code means the 2025 California Mechanical Code.

E. NFPA 70 and National Electrical Code means the 2025 California Electrical Code.

F. International Residential Code for One-and Two-Family Dwellings means the 2025 California Residential Code.

G. International Fire Code means the 2025 California Fire Code.

H. International Existing Building Code means the 2025 California Existing Building Code.

I. 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.

(Ord. 16-324, 2016; Ord. 23-0367 § 1; Ord. 25-0385, 11/24/2025)

A. Purpose. The purpose of the map is to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors including areas where winds have been identified by the office of the State Fire Marshal as a major cause of wildfire spread.

B. Fire Severity Zones Adoption. The city designates fire severity zones as recommended by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Government Code section 51178. These zones are mapped moderate, high, and very high.

C. Fire Severity Map Determination. In instances where a single parcel of land includes multiple fire hazard severity zone designations, including, but not limited to, moderate, high, or very high, the entire parcel shall be considered as falling within the highest designated zone present on any portion of the parcel.

D. Copies of Fire Severity Map. The fire severity map shall be maintained in electronic format by the city of Solvang, as authorized by the Community Development Director. These copies shall be available on the city's website.

(Ord. 25-0382, 6/9/2025; Ord. 25-0385, 11/24/2025)