Lompoc council approves first reading of ordinance adopting state fire hazard severity maps

The Lompoc City Council on a 5-0 roll-call vote on first reading introduced Ordinance No. 17 29 25 to adopt fire hazard severity zone maps provided by the California State Fire Marshal that designate parts of the city as higher-severity wildfire hazard areas.

The ordinance, presented by John Stephens, fire marshal and battalion chief for the City of Lompoc, designates zones concentrated north of town at the Y and Harris Grade and on the south side of the city roughly south of Olive Avenue. Stephens said the maps measure hazard — based on 50 years of fuel, topography and weather modeling — and not short-term risk, which is addressed through defensible-space and building-hardening actions.

"So will this affect my insurance? It shouldn't," Stephens told the council, quoting guidance from the California Department of Insurance that insurers typically use short-term risk models rather than the long-term hazard maps.

Why it matters: The maps, when adopted locally, trigger more stringent construction and vegetation-management requirements for properties in the designated zones. Stephens told the council that new construction in affected areas will need to comply with the California Building Code and the California Fire Code provisions addressing "house hardening" (including materials and design features in Chapter 7A) and that defensible-space expectations will expand — ultimately including the 0-to-5-foot "zone 0" around structures.

Council members and members of the public pressed for clarifying context. Councilor Ball asked whether accessory dwelling units (ADUs) would be affected; Stephens replied that ADUs are treated as new construction for code purposes and could face more restrictive building code requirements in the mapped zones. A member of the public who said he owns property on or near the hills asked for models and evacuation planning tied to wind-driven scenarios; Stephens and staff noted the city's safety element and ongoing planning work address evacuation and wind-driven fire scenarios.

Public commenters urged the city to adopt strong maintenance rules for ornamental palm trees and other vegetation. Jay Salzburg and Karen Hauenstein, residents who spoke during public comment, said poorly maintained palms and vegetation can produce firebrands that spread embers during wind-driven events and asked the city to include explicit maintenance expectations.

The ordinance process: Stephens said the state gave local jurisdictions the option to adopt the state maps as provided or adopt more stringent local designations; several nearby jurisdictions had chosen to increase stringency. Lompoc staff said they will return to the council for a second reading and potential adoption on July 15. Stephens flagged two typographical errors in the draft ordinance (instances of "safety zones" instead of "severity zones") that staff will correct before final adoption.

Action taken: The council voted to proceed with the first reading of Ordinance No. 17 29 25 to designate fire hazard severity zones as recommended by the California State Fire Marshal; roll-call votes were recorded as aye from Council member Ball, Council member Starbuck, Council member Bridge, Mayor Pro Tem Victor Vega and Mayor James Mosby.

What comes next: If adopted at second reading, the ordinance will make the state maps operative for local permitting and code enforcement. Stephens and other staff said they will work with residents on implementation steps such as vegetation abatement notices, defensible-space outreach, and building-code compliance guidance for property owners and developers.

Ending: Councilors asked staff to prepare outreach materials explaining what the map designations mean for homeowners, ADU applicants and prospective developers so property owners understand building and vegetation requirements before construction or sale.