Kings County adopts updated fire prevention ordinance, adds state-mapped hazard zones

The Kings County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt Ordinance No. 713 on May 20, 2025, updating Chapter 10 of the Kings County Code of Ordinances to reflect recent fire-code changes and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (Cal Fire) new fire hazard severity zone mapping.

Blake Agney, a representative from the Kings County fire department, told the board the revisions were discovered during a code review after the county approved the California Fire Code in 2023 but had not formally adopted the associated ordinance. “Our recommendation is to waive a second reading and adopt Ordinance 713, updating chapter 10 of the County Code of Ordinances,” Agney said.

The department said the comprehensive review over the past year, conducted with county counsel, modernized the code to provide clearer regulatory guidance, improve operational consistency for the fire department, and enhance public transparency. Agney summarized the changes as aligning local regulations with current local, state, and federal fire-safety laws and incorporating the required fire hazard severity zones mapping under state law.

No members of the public spoke during the hearing. The board moved to waive the second reading, and the measure passed on roll call vote.

The ordinance takes effect 30 days after adoption unless otherwise specified in the ordinance text. The adoption completes the county’s formal ordinance-level acceptance of the 2023 fire-code changes and the new fire hazard severity zone designations.

The board’s action closes a compliance gap the county identified following earlier adoption of the fire code but not the corresponding ordinance language.

Correction note: the presenter referred to Government Code citation numbers in the staff report; the board record includes that citation as read aloud during the meeting.