California sets new building codes for areas vulnerable to fire

Tag : Construction Building Materials

The new building rules are part of a two-pronged state strategyfollowing historic blazes in 2003 that killed 24 people and burned3,600 homes in Southern California.
The strategy is simple. It is politically impractical to ban allconstruction in fire-prone areas - just as it would be to ban allconstruction in earthquake hazard zones. So state authorities hopeinstead to reduce the chances of homes burning once fires start.
The other component requires rural homeowners to clear brush andtrees 100 feet around their homes, rather than 30 feet, theprevious standard. Although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed that"defensible space" law in 2005, state and local fire departmentshave written almost no tickets for violators. But that's changing,too. Fines go up to $500.
"This year, we will be more aggressive. If necessary, we will takeenforcement actions to see that the work gets done," said Cal Firedirector Ruben Grijalva.
"Defensible space doesn't mean clear-cutting everything down. Itmeans thinning. It means being lean, clean and green."
Both the building and thinning rules affect roughly two-thirds ofthe land in Santa Clara County.
In particular, property in the foothills east of San Jose, MorganHill and Gilroy is affected, along with forested land all along theSanta Cruz Mountains from the Lexington Basin to Los Gatos, and upthe Peninsula.
Conflict over rules
The building rules - specifically, chapter 7A of the CaliforniaBuilding Code - were developed by a task force of government,industry and environmental groups, but they have sparked somecontroversy.
Homeowners in Plumas County grumbled about overly aggressive statebureaucracy. Some residents in Woodside have been concerned thattowns might expand them to remodeling jobs, or insurance companiesmight raise rates.
At Lake Tahoe, property owners rushed to get applications in beforeJan. 1, when the rules took effect there.
"Every year, they need to find things that will 'improvestructures,' " said Stephen Clark, a Saratoga architect. "Some ofit is damn good research. Some of it is to keep their jobs. Butmost of this is worth it. If push comes to shove, this is worthit."
Fire-resistant materials generally cost more than traditional ones.How much the new rules will add to the price of a new home isunclear.
On average, they should increase costs by $1,800 a home, accordingto Cal Fire and the California Building Standards Commission.
Clark said they might add perhaps 10 percent to the cost of a newhome.
'Small price to pay'