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Ventura County adopts updated fire code; board directs staff to refine agricultural exemptions
Summary
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved Ordinance No. 34, adopting updated state and international fire and wildland-urban-interface codes; supervisors directed staff to work with agricultural stakeholders to clarify sprinkler and water-availability provisions and return with ordinance amendments.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Thursday approved Ventura County Fire Protection District Ordinance No. 34, repealing prior ordinances and adopting the 2025 California Fire Code, portions of the 2024 and 2025 International Fire and Wildland Urban Interface codes, and portions of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations, with local additions and deletions.
The vote approved the ordinance as written, with board direction that staff continue discussions with agricultural stakeholders and return with proposed amendments addressing exemptions and related policy language. Supervisor Lavere said staff engagement with stakeholders gave the board confidence to approve the ordinance now and refine specific language later: "Given everything we've heard today ... I would feel comfortable approving today's recommendation, with the direction that those conversations continue," she said.
Why it matters: The ordinance updates the county's fire-safety regulations to align with current state and model codes and includes provisions and appendices addressing wildland-urban interface risk. Agricultural exemptions for fire sprinkler requirements and water-availability considerations were discussed during the hearing; board members and staff agreed the adopted ordinance should be followed by targeted amendments shaped by stakeholder input.
Staff and stakeholders said the county already uses a policy-based approach for some agricultural exemptions and can incorporate those exemptions into the code or leave them referenced by policy. A county staff member explained the current approach and an existing size threshold: "We do have an exemption for 12,000 square feet for AG building," the staff member said, adding that other conditions also apply.
Board members pressed for clarity on two related but separate requirements: the fire-sprinkler provisions (which the county can exempt by policy) and water-availability requirements, which are governed by a separate water manual and are not within the fire department's regulatory purview. As a staff speaker put it, "the water availability letter that's outside the purview of the fire department. We don't regulate or we don't write or bring to you the water manual for adoption, but that is where those requirements are found for the water availability."
Supervisors agreed to approve the ordinance now so the broader code updates would not be delayed, and to direct staff to return with a revised ordinance that reflects stakeholder discussions. The board's clerk read the ordinance title into the record before the vote. The motion to adopt Ordinance No. 34 was moved and seconded on the record, and the board approved the measure; the transcript records the motion was moved by Supervisor Revere and seconded by Supervisor Parvin and that it passed unanimously.
Next steps: Staff will continue outreach with the agricultural community and draft specific code amendments and/or off-cycle changes to address the sprinkler exemptions and other implementation details. The board set a second public hearing for October 14 (for a separate item referenced during discussion) and indicated off-cycle amendments could be used to avoid delaying broader code adoption.
