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Ojai planners and council consider fire hardening, defensible space and undergrounding priorities
Summary
The joint meeting addressed fire-hardening priorities, defensible space enforcement and opportunities for undergrounding utilities; staff said short- and medium-term measures are immediate priorities and that Southern California Edison, county partners and Fire Safe Council volunteers are part of next steps.
City planning staff, commissioners and councilmembers discussed fire hardening, defensible-space enforcement and the long-term, costly prospect of undergrounding utilities as part of broader wildfire mitigation.
Why it matters: Ojai sits in a high fire-hazard area. Officials said a combination of near-term home hardening, community Firewise efforts, and longer-term infrastructure projects (including potential utility undergrounding) are all on the table.
What was discussed
- Defensible space and code: Public commenter Renee Roth highlighted that the city adopted the California Fire Code in 2022 (enacted locally in 2023) and said Chapter 29 requires defensible space for structures. She urged the city to enforce defensible-space provisions and adopt Ventura County Fire Standard 5.15 to support enforcement and outreach.
- Firewise and fuel reduction: Commissioners and public commenters supported stronger early-stage efforts such as Firewise community programs and targeted fuel-reduction work (including pasture/grazing approaches on private slopes) in high-hazard neighborhoods.
- Undergrounding utilities: Staff said a meeting is planned with Southern California Edison to explore available funding options; council and commissioners noted undergrounding is a long, expensive process that can improve resiliency but requires coordination and likely assessments. "You have to get cooperation from private property owners," a staff member said. Rule 20 (CPUC) funding options were discussed as limited and complicated.
- Implementation tiers: Officials described a three-tier approach: short-term household hardening and defensible-space outreach, medium-term infrastructure adjustments and ordinance changes, and long-term undergrounding where feasible.
Public comment and volunteers
Residents urged tangible help with home-hardening tasks (for example, stapling vent screens) and more public education about defensible space. The Fire Safe Council and volunteers were identified as potential partners for grant-supported outreach and implementation.
Next steps
Staff said they will inventory existing code and building standards to identify where fire-hardening requirements already exist and where code amendments could add clearer standards; the city will also meet with Edison and the county to pursue partnerships and funding options.
Ending
Officials characterized undergrounding as a long-term goal that needs early planning. The council and commission asked staff to return with specific code-mapping and outreach plans and to continue partnerships with county and utility stakeholders.
