Chapter 15.30 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY REGULATIONS

This chapter is adopted to meet the requirements of Public Resources Code Section 4290 and California Code of Regulations Title 14, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2, Articles 1 through 5, Sections 1270.00 through 1276.03. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.030 Scope.

These regulations shall apply to all new construction and new development unless otherwise exempted within the unincorporated area for which county approvals or permits are required and applications for which are received after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. New construction and new development include but are not limited to:

A. Applications for parcel maps and subdivision maps;

B. Applications for grading permits and applications for building permits for new construction, except those which do not expand the footprint of an existing structure;

C. Applications for accessory dwellings, administrative use permits, conditional use permits, CEQA documents, roadway encroachment permits, general plan amendments, reclamation plans, planned development projects, variances and zoning amendments;

D. Construction of new roadways requiring county approval, including extension of existing roadways. Roadways for the use of agriculture as defined in Section 15.30.040, or roadways used solely for the management and harvesting of wood products, are exempt. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.040 Definitions.

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms are defined as follows:

"Agriculture" means the art or science of cultivating the ground, including harvesting of crops and rearing and management of livestock, tillage, husbandry, farming, horticulture and forestry; the science and art of the production of plants and animals useful to man.

"Approving authority" shall mean the county of Amador through its public works agency director or board of supervisors on requests for deviations from standards.

"Board" means the board of supervisors of Amador County.

"Building" means any structure that requires a building permit for construction or installation.

"Building official" means the chief building official of the county’s building department.

"CDF" means the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"Combustible waste material" means all refuse that will ignite through contact with flames, including but not limited to trimmings from lawns, trees, and gardens; rags, paper, straw, sawdust, packing material, shavings and boxes; living flammable vegetation; dead or dying vegetation, pine needles, and duff; and any other such materials or fuels which might contribute to the spread of flames or emit sparks and embers if burning.

"Dead-end roadway" means a roadway that has only one point of vehicular ingress/egress, including cul-de-sacs and looped roadways.

"Defensible space" means the area within the perimeter of a parcel where basic wildland fire protection practices and measures may lawfully be imposed, providing the key point of defense from approaching wildfires and escaping structure fires. The defensible space is characterized by the establishment and maintenance of emergency vehicle access, emergency water reserves, street names, building identification and fuel modification measures.

"Divided roadway" means a roadway where the traffic lanes are separated or divided by an island or natural barrier.

"Driveway" means a vehicular access that serves a single residential parcel that contains no more than either (1) two residential buildings, or (2) three dwelling units; and any number of accessory buildings.

"Dwelling unit" means any building or portion thereof which contains living facilities, including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation for not more than one family.

"Emergency equipment access" means a roadway with an all-weather surface meeting the standards outlined in this chapter, including, but not limited to, a driveway, road, turnaround or parking area.

"Fire flow" means the flow rate, measured in gallons per minute at twenty psi residual pressure, that is available for firefighting.

"Fire management plan" means a plan which addresses the fire protection needs of a subdivision or other project so as to achieve the standards of this chapter or the same practical effect.

"Fuel modification" means reduction of the volume of flammable vegetation, to reduce fire intensity and duration.

"Greenbelts" means a use of land not designed for fire protection which will slow or resist the spread of a wildfire. Greenbelts include irrigated or landscaped areas, golf courses, parks, playgrounds, parking lots, maintained vineyards, orchards or annual crops that do not cure in the field.

"Ground fuels" means vegetation such as grass, sage, and other perennials; any low brush growth that does not allow for the easy movement of air through the foliage, including small conifer reproduction; and nonliving materials such as felled logs, heavy limbs and smaller twigs, leaves, needles, bark and cones.

"Hammerhead/T" means a "T" shaped, three-point turnaround space for emergency equipment which is not narrower than the roadway that serves it.

"High fire hazard area" means areas designated as "High Fire Hazard Areas" by CDF in accordance with Public Resources Code Section 4291.5.

"Perimeter" means the area encompassing a parcel, excluding the physical structure itself.

"Public works director" means the director of the county’s public works agency.

"Road" means a vehicular access to more than one parcel; vehicular access to a single parcel with industrial or commercial occupancy; or vehicular access to a single parcel with more than two residential buildings or four or more dwelling units.

"Roadway" means a road or driveway.

"Roadway structures" means bridges, culverts and other appurtenant structures which supplement the roadbed or shoulders.

"Same practical effect" means accepted wildland fire suppression strategies and tactics and provisions for fire fighter safety not set forth in this chapter as normal standards which address: access for emergency wildland fire equipment; safe civilian evacuation; signing that avoids delays in emergency equipment response; available and accessible water to effectively attack wildfires or defend a structure from wildfire; and fuel modification sufficient for civilian and fire fighter safety.

"Temporary" means a time period of not more than one year.

"Turnaround" means a roadway, unobstructed by parking, which allows for a safe opposite change of direction for emergency equipment.

"Turnout" means a widening in a roadway to allow vehicles to pass. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.050 Enforcement and inspection authority.

The public works agency shall be responsible for inspection and enforcement of this chapter. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.070 Waste material.

Disposal of flammable vegetation and fuels resulting from construction, achievement of defensible space and/or fuel modification shall be completed prior to final approval of any project. Burial of vegetative materials shall not be allowed within any road right-of-way or easement. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.080 Fire management plans.

A. A fire management plan may be required for any project if the project will have a significant effect on the provision of fire protection services or when such a plan is necessary to achieve the same practical effect as the requirements of this chapter.

B. A fire management plan shall address the following:

1. Impact on the pertinent fire protection agency’s ability to provide service;

2. Availability of fire protection water to the site;

3. Ingress/egress and circulation;

4. Fire hazards existing within the project, including a fuel modification plan prepared by a registered professional forester when deemed necessary by the public works agency;

5. Requirements of this chapter that cannot be met due to project design or other constraints;

6. Fire protection measures that are consistent with the provisions of this chapter or other recognized fire protection standards; and

7. Provision for annual maintenance, which shall be included in development plans and road maintenance agreements, or as a condition of the permit or map approval. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.090 Setback of structures for defensible space.

A. All buildings and accessory buildings on parcels one acre and larger shall have a minimum thirty-foot setback from all property lines or the center of a roadway, whichever is farthest.

B. Multi-parcel projects on land having a general plan population density of more than one family per acre shall have a thirty-foot setback from the exterior boundaries of the project if the project adjoins land zoned A or AG.

C. For parcels less than one acre, the same practical effect shall be provided for. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.100 Maintenance of defensible space.

A. To ensure continued maintenance of properties in conformance with Section 15.30.080 and to assure continued availability, access, and utilization of defensible space during a wildfire, provisions for annual maintenance shall be a condition of approval of the project and shall be included in fire management plans, roadway maintenance agreements, and similar documents.

B. Fuel modification shall be required to a width of ten feet on each side of roadways by reducing ground fuels to less than eighteen inches in height and by maintaining tree and shrub separations necessary to reduce fuel loading.

C. Fuel modification shall be required one hundred feet around all structures or to the property line, whichever is nearer, by reducing ground fuels to less than eighteen inches in height and by maintaining tree and shrub separations necessary to reduce fuel loading. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.110 Greenbelts.

Projects which propose greenbelts as a part of the project plan shall locate said greenbelts as a separation between wildland fuels and structures. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.120 Roadways.

The roadway networks shall provide safe access for emergency wildland fire equipment and civilian evacuation concurrently and shall provide unobstructed traffic circulation during a wildfire emergency. The roadway network shall also provide all-weather, safe access for emergency personnel responding to medical aids, traffic accidents and structure fires.

A. General Standards. All roads, driveways, turnarounds, turnouts, roadway structures, and gate entrances, either public or private, shall be designed in accordance with this chapter. Design and construction shall at a minimum meet the fire standards in this chapter, as well as any other applicable standards found in Title 12, 17 or 19 of this code and public works agency standard drawings and specifications. In the event of a conflict between standards found in any of these references, the more stringent standard shall prevail.

1. When a building permit, including a grading permit, for new construction as set forth in Section 15.30.030 is the only approval or permit sought for a parcel, improvements required by this section shall not be imposed on any existing driveway, road, right-of-way, easement, or real property other than on the parcel for which the building permit is sought.

However, off-site improvements may be required for subdivision maps, parcel maps, use permits, general plan changes and zone changes at the discretion of the decision-making body and in accordance with this chapter.

2. Existing private bridges on access roadways must be certified by a licensed engineer as meeting the standards of this chapter when required by the public works director. If modifications are necessary in order to provide adequate physical access for fire apparatus, then a building or grading permit shall be obtained and the necessary modifications shall be made.

3. All residences and commercial structures must be no further than fifty feet from emergency equipment access.

4. The roadway surface and all improvements shall be designed and constructed to provide unobstructed access to conventional drive vehicles including sedans and fire engines.

5. Surfaces shall be capable of supporting a forty thousand pound load.

6. Turnarounds and Turnouts.

a. Turnarounds shall be designed as either a hammerhead/T or terminus bulb. If a hammerhead/T is used, the top of the "T" shall be a minimum of sixty feet in length.

b. Turnarounds shall have a minimum turning radius of forty feet from the centerline of the roadway.

c. Turnouts shall be a minimum of ten feet wide measured from the edge of the roadway surface and thirty feet long with a minimum twenty-five-foot taper on each end.

7. Roadway Radius.

a. No roadway shall have a horizontal inside radius of curvature of less than fifty feet, and additional surface width of four feet shall be added to curves of fifty to one hundred feet radius; two feet to those from one hundred to two hundred feet.

b. The length of vertical curves in roadways, exclusive of gutters, ditches, and drainage structures designed to hold or divert water, shall not be less than one hundred feet.

8. The grade for all roadways shall not exceed sixteen percent.

9. Gates.

a. Gates on driveways shall be at least two feet wider than the width of the traffic lane serving the gate, with a minimum width of at least twelve feet.

b. Gates on roads shall be at least two feet wider than road width, with a minimum width of twenty feet, and shall be equipped with an approved keylock system.

c. Gates are prohibited on county-maintained roads, and private roads that have been dedicated or designated for public use.

d. All gates providing access from a roadway to a driveway shall be located on the driveway at least thirty feet from the road edge and shall open so that a vehicle can stop without obstructing traffic on the roadway.

e. Where an existing roadway with a single traffic lane provides access to a gated entrance, a turnaround shall be provided.

10. Roadway Structures.

a. All roadway structures shall be constructed to carry at least the maximum load and provide the minimum vertical clearance required by Vehicle Code Sections 35250, 35550 and 35750.

b. Each bridge shall have appropriate signing, including but not limited to weight, lane, and vertical clearance limitations.

c. A bridge with only one traffic lane may be approved only if it has unobstructed visibility from end to end and turnouts at both ends.

11. Divided Roads.

a. All traffic lanes in divided roads shall be at least ten feet wide;

b. Divided roads shall connect to a two-lane roadway at both ends; and

c. Divided roads shall not exceed two thousand six hundred forty feet in length.

12. Dead-End Roadways.

a. Maximum length of a dead-end roadway, including all dead-end roads accessed from that dead-end roadway, shall not exceed the following cumulative lengths regardless of the number of parcels served:


Parcels zoned for less than one acre	800 feet
Parcels zoned for 1 acre to 4.99 acres	1,320 feet
Parcels zoned for 5 acres to 19.99 acres	2,640 feet
Parcels zoned for 20 acres or larger	5,280 feet

b. Lengths shall be measured from the edge of the roadway surface at the intersection that begins the roadway to the end of the roadway surface at its farthest point. Where a dead-end roadway crosses areas of different zones allowing different parcel sizes, the allowable roadway length shall be based on the smallest allowable parcel.

c. Where parcels are zoned five acres or larger, turnarounds shall be provided at a maximum of one-thousand-three-hundred-twenty-foot intervals.

d. Each dead-end roadway shall have a turnaround constructed at its terminus.

B. Driveway Standards. All driveways shall comply with public works agency standard drawings and specifications as well as the following:

1. Driveways exceeding one hundred fifty feet in length, but less than eight hundred feet in length, shall provide a turnout near the midpoint of the driveway. Where the driveway exceeds eight hundred feet, turnouts shall be provided no more than four hundred feet apart.

2. All driveways shall have at least three inches of compacted Class II aggregate base.

3. Driveways exceeding six percent grade may require additional surfacing, at the discretion of the public works agency.

4. No driveway shall have a centerline radius or curvature of less than fifty feet.

5. All driveways shall provide a minimum ten-foot traffic lane and unobstructed vertical clearance of fifteen feet along its entire length.

C. Road Standards for Projects Covered by This Chapter.

1. All roads serving residential development on existing parcels for which average daily traffic is estimated to be less than one hundred ADT shall be designed with two nine-foot lanes, with at least three-inch Class II aggregate base.

2. All other roads (county-maintained and privately maintained) other than those described in subsection (C)(1) of this section shall be designed, approved and constructed in accordance with this chapter and with the standards set forth in county code Chapters 12.08 and 17.90. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.130 Premises identification and signing.

A. Intent. To facilitate locating a fire and to avoid delays in response, all newly constructed or approved roads, streets and buildings shall be designated by names or numbers, posted on signs clearly visible and legible from the roadway.

B. Size of Letters, Numbers and Symbols for Road Signs. Size of letters, numbers, and symbols for street and road signs shall be a minimum of three-inch letter height, three-eighths inch stroke, reflectorized, contrasting with the background color of the sign.

C. Visibility and Legibility of Road Signs. Road signs shall be visible and legible from both directions of vehicle travel for a distance of at least one hundred feet.

D. Height of Road Signs. Height of road signs shall be uniform countywide, and meet the visibility and legibility standards of this section.

E. Names and Numbers on Road Signs. Newly constructed or approved public and private roads must be identified by a name or number through a consistent countywide system that provides for sequenced or patterned numbering and/or nonduplicating naming. All signs shall be mounted and oriented in a uniform manner. This section does not require any entity to rename or renumber existing roads, nor shall a roadway providing access only to a single commercial or industrial occupancy require naming or numbering.

F. Intersecting Roads and Driveways. Signs required by this section identifying intersecting roads and driveways shall be placed at the intersection of those roads and driveways.

G. Signs Identifying Traffic Access Limitations. A sign identifying traffic access or flow limitations, including but not limited to weight or vertical clearance limitations, dead-end road, or divided roadway conditions, shall be placed:

1. At the intersection preceding the traffic access limitation; and

2. No more than one hundred feet before such traffic access limitation.

H. Installation of Road and Driveway Signs. Road and driveway signs required by this section shall be installed prior to final acceptance by the county of road improvements.

I. Addresses for Buildings. All buildings shall be issued an address that conforms to the county’s overall address system. Accessory buildings will not be required to have a separate address; however, each dwelling unit within a building shall be separately identified.

J. Size of Letters, Numbers and Symbols for Addresses. Size of letters, numbers and symbols for addresses shall be a minimum three-inch letter height, three-eighths-inch stroke, reflectorized, contrasting with the background color of the sign.

K. Installation, Location and Visibility of Addresses.

1. All buildings shall have a permanently posted address, which shall be placed at each driveway entrance and visible from both directions of travel along the road. In all cases, the address shall be posted at the beginning of construction and shall be maintained thereafter, and the address shall be visible and legible from the road on which the address is located.

2. Address signs along one-way roads shall be visible from both the intended direction of travel and the opposite direction.

3. Where multiple addresses are required at a single driveway, they shall be mounted on a single post.

4. Where a roadway provides access solely to a single commercial or industrial business, the address sign shall be placed at the nearest road intersection providing access to that site. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.140 Emergency water standards.

A. Emergency water for wildfire protection shall be available and accessible in quantities and locations specified in the Public Resources Code Section 4290 et seq. and this chapter, in order to attack a wildfire or defend property from a wildfire. Such emergency water may be provided in a fire agency mobile water tender, or naturally occurring or manmade containment structure, as long as the specified quantity is immediately available. Nothing in this section prohibits the combined storage of emergency wildfire and structural firefighting water supplies unless so prohibited by local ordinance or specified by the local fire district.

B. Water systems shall meet or exceed the standards specified in the Public Utilities Commission of California General Order No. 103, as amended March 9, 1994, Section VIII Fire Protection Standards, and other applicable sections relating to fire protection water delivery systems. Static water systems shall equal or exceed the National Fire Protection Association, Standard 1142, Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting, 2001 Edition. Mobile water systems shall meet or exceed the Insurance Services Offices Rural Class 8, February 2003 publication.

C. The quantity of emergency water storage required for a single-family dwelling shall be at least two thousand five hundred gallons. The minimum quantity of emergency water required for multiple-family dwellings and commercial properties shall be established by the appropriate local fire district. For single-family dwellings, a fire impact fee of nine hundred dollars per dwelling unit may be paid to the appropriate local fire district in lieu of on-site storage of the required emergency water. The appropriate local fire district may set other reasonable in-lieu fees for uses other than single-family dwellings.

D. The fire protection water system shall be installed and approved prior to completion of roadway construction where a community water system is provided, or before construction of any building where an individual system is provided. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.150 Fire hydrant/fire valve standards.

A. The hydrant or fire valve shall be eighteen inches above grade, at least eight feet from flammable vegetation, no closer than four feet nor farther than twelve feet from a roadway, and in a location where fire apparatus using it will not block the roadway. A three-foot clearance around the hydrant must be maintained at all times.

B. The hydrant head shall be brass with a minimum of one two-and-one-half-inch NHT male outlet with cap for pressure systems and a four-and-one-half-inch NHT male outlet with cap for draft systems. Such hydrants shall be wet or dry barrel, as required by the delivery system. Guard posts shall be installed where necessary to protect exposed hydrants from vehicular damage.

C. The hydrant serving any building shall be not less than fifty feet nor more than one-half mile by roadway from the building it is to serve, and be located at a turnout or turnaround along the roadway to that building.

D. Each hydrant or fire valve or access to water shall be identified as follows:

1. If located along a road or driveway, a reflective blue marker, with a minimum dimension of three inches, shall be mounted on a fire retardant post. The post shall be within three feet of said hydrant/fire valve, with the marker no less than three feet or greater than five feet above the ground and visible from the road; or

2. As specified in the State Fire Marshal’s Guidelines for Fire Hydrant Markings Along State Highways and Freeways, May 1988 (California Department of Transportation, Traffic Manual, Chapter 6-03.4 "Location Markers--Fire Hydrants"). (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.160 Fire protection standards.

For the purpose of interpretation and enforcement of this chapter, the most recent edition of the following publications can be used for guidance:

Insurance Services Office (ISO)

545 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, New Jersey 07310-1686

Guide for Determination of Needed Fire Flow.

ISO Rural Class 8

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

P.O. Box 9101 Batterymarch Park

Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-9101

NFPA 1142, Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting.

California Code of Regulations

Title 14, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2 "SRA Fire Safe Regulations."

Title 24, Part 9 California Fire Code.

California Public Resources Code

Section 4290

Section 4291

(Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.170 Deviation from standards.

A. The approving authority may approve or recommend the approval of minor deviations from standards set forth in this chapter where the mitigated practices proposed in the deviation request provide the same practical effect, and where reasonable access can be provided to assure adequate evacuation routes for the public and adequate access routes for emergency personnel and equipment. In determining whether the same practical effect can be achieved, the approving authority shall apply and make findings concerning the performance criteria as follows:

1. Deviations shall provide defensible space consistent with the "SRA Fire Safe Regulations" (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 1270 et seq.) and this chapter.

2. Deviations shall provide safe emergency access for fire equipment.

3. Deviations shall provide for unobstructed traffic circulation during an emergency.

4. Deviations shall provide for safe civilian evacuation during an emergency.

5. Deviations shall not cause delays in emergency response or interfere with the ability of emergency personnel to locate an incident.

6. Deviations shall provide a sufficient quantity of water for both wildfire and structural firefighting at a location where it is immediately available to emergency personnel.

7. Deviations shall not result in fuel modification that would adversely affect access or defensible space thereby jeopardizing civilian and fire fighter safety.

B. An application for a deviation shall be filed with the public works agency. The application shall state the specific modification requested and the reason and justification for the requested modification. Pertinent maps and site plans and any additional information requested by the public works agency shall be provided by the applicant.

C. The public works director, after consultation with appropriate departments such as fire protection providers, building department, and planning department, will render a decision as to whether the proposed modification provides the same practical effect as the applicable standards.

D. The decision of the public works director may be appealed to the board of supervisors. An applicant desiring to appeal must file a written request for appeal of the decision of the public works director which sets forth the reasons for the appeal. The request for appeal must be filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors within fifteen days of receipt of written notice of the decision being appealed.

E. The board of supervisors shall hold a public hearing on the appeal and based thereon may affirm, reject or modify the decision of the public works director.

F. If a deviation from standards is granted, the approving authority (public works director or board of supervisors, as appropriate) shall make a written statement of findings as to the reason for the decision. A copy shall be provided to the applicant and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.180 CDF inspections not precluded.

Nothing in this chapter precludes the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from performing inspections or cursory audits to ensure compliance with the regulations. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.190 Fees.

Fees for (i) inspections for compliance with this chapter, (ii) filing and evaluation of deviation requests, and (iii) appeals of deviation denials shall be adopted by resolution of the board of supervisors. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.200 Penalty for violations.

Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for the first violation and a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation within a year. The third and each successive violation of this chapter in the period of one year shall constitute a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.210 Separate violations.

Each and every day on which any violation of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by any person shall constitute a separate violation hereof. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.220 Other citations.

Any officer authorized by law to issue citations may issue citations pursuant to Penal Code 836.5, 853.5 and 853.6 for violations of this chapter. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).

15.30.230 Civil proceedings not preempted.

Criminal proceedings against persons for violations of this chapter shall not bar civil enforcement or abatement proceedings. (Ord. 1644 §2(part), 2006).