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Fillmore adopts 2025 building and fire codes; council cites tougher Wildland-Urban Interface standards
Summary
The City of Fillmore adopted two ordinances to adopt the 2025 California Uniform Building Code and 2025 California Fire Code with local amendments, including more stringent Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) requirements for exterior walls, roofing, decks and smart landscaping in high-risk fire zones.
The City of Fillmore City Council approved two ordinances to adopt the 2025 California Uniform Building Code and the 2025 California Fire Code with local amendments that tighten construction requirements in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas.
Kevin, representing the city's building services, and Trang of Bureau Veritas summarized the changes staff recommended for adoption on second reading. The WUI changes highlighted by staff include higher exterior-wall fire-resistance (a locally retained two-hour requirement in some set-backs), Class A roofing material requirements for structures in high-risk fire zones, stricter ratings for windows and doors, limitations on combustible fencing or landscaping within 30 feet of structures, and tightened rules for decking and second-floor roof decks.
Trang said the code changes "are getting a lot tougher" and walked council through examples such as bans on untreated wood shingle roofing in WUI zones and new requirements for "smart landscaping" that would exclude certain high-risk species. Council opened and then closed the public hearings as no public testimony was received on the items, and both ordinances passed on second reading by voice vote.
Implementation and timing: Staff explained the new codes follow state adoption and recommended publishing the effective date notice so design professionals and applicants can submit before the new rules take effect. During Q&A, staff clarified that projects with approvals already finalized before the effective date would not be retroactively required to comply; the new rules would apply to plan submissions received after the effective date staff specified.
What this means for residents: property owners in or near high-risk fire zones should expect more stringent building and landscaping requirements for new construction or permit-submitted projects after the local effective date; staff recommended outreach to designers and builders to avoid surprises.
Reporting note: technical code terms and examples are taken from the staff presentation and council discussion recorded on the public record.
