Sonoma County Municipal Code § 13-61 Intent

This division establishes alternate fire protection measures for use in place of standards specified in this article which cannot be met and additional fire protection measures to mitigate parcel specific fire protection problems.

(Ord. No. 6318, § I, 8-11-2020)

State Law reference— California Code of Regulations, Title 14 Natural Resources Code, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2, Article 1-5, SRA Fire Safe Regulations.

When authorized, pursuant to Section 13-23, any of the following alternate fire protection measures may be used as exceptions to the standards specified in this article or as mitigated practices if determined to have the same practical effect. The county fire warden/fire marshal may request additional fire protection measures pursuant to Section 13-63(a) through (c).

1. Increased emergency water supply requirements; and

2. Installation of a sprinkler system that meets the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association and any one (1) of the following:

a) Increased flammable vegetation clearance areas for buildings;

b) Increased flammable vegetation clearance areas for roads and driveways;

c) Use of fire-resistive vegetation;

d) Installation of fire-resistive exterior siding;

e) Use of fire-resistive deck and eave construction;

f) Construction of additional turnouts and turnarounds;

g) Creation of areas of safe refuge;

h) Installation of a centrally monitored fire alarm system;

i) Provision of a secondary means of ingress and egress to the parcel; and

j) Increased width and surface for emergency vehicle access.

(Ord. No. 6318, § I, 8-11-2020)

When the county fire warden/fire marshal determines that access constraints, hazard severity or topography and terrain adversely affect the ability of emergency fire equipment and personnel to respond to an emergency on a parcel, the county fire warden/fire marshal may require additional fire protection measures as follows:

(a) Where conditions delay, limit or prohibit access by emergency fire equipment and personnel to a parcel, the county fire warden/fire marshal may require any of the following fire protection measures in addition to the other standards specified in this article:

(1) Increased emergency water supply;

(2) Installation of an automatic sprinkler system that meets the requirements of the national fire codes;

(3) Increased flammable vegetation clearance areas for buildings;

(4) Use of fire-resistive vegetation;

(5) Use of fire-resistive deck and eave construction;

(6) Installation of fire-resistive exterior siding;

(7) Installation of a centrally monitored fire alarm system;

(8) Creation of areas of safe refuge;

(9) Vegetation management plan.

(b) Where a parcel is located within a very high fire hazard severity zone as defined by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the county fire warden/fire marshal may require any of the following fire protection measures in addition to the other standards specified in this article:

(1) Any of the fire protection measures specified in subsection (a);

(2) Construction of additional turnouts and turnarounds;

(3) Provision of a secondary means of ingress and egress to the parcel;

(4) Vegetation management plan.

(5) Non-combustible construction.

(c) Where features of topography or terrain create conditions on a parcel which the county fire warden/fire marshal determines warrant additional fire protection measures, the county fire warden/fire marshal may consider the parcel to be an area of high or very high fire hazard severity and require any of the fire protection measures specified in subsection (b) in addition to the other standards specified in this article.

(Ord. No. 6318, § I, 8-11-2020)