United Fire chief briefs Emigration Canyon planners on driveway and private‑road access standards

United Fire Chief Sean Peterson told the Emigration Canyon Planning Commission on Feb. 13 that the International Fire Code and Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) standards drive most of the department’s site‑access requirements for canyon properties. ‘‘It needs to be a solid surface, maintainable surface that can hold 75,000 pounds,’’ Peterson said, explaining that pavers, cobbles and typical 4‑inch concrete driveways do not meet the requirement for fire‑department apparatus.

Peterson laid out several numeric thresholds planners must reflect in local code: a minimum fire‑department access width of 20 feet for most private roads and driveways (with short narrow passes allowed briefly), widening to 26 feet when access runs longer than 500 feet, and a 28‑foot inside turn radius for turning movements. He also described hose‑lay requirements that drive the need for turnarounds: the department must be able to support a 150‑foot initial attack hose lay; when the measured distance from the structure to the edge of public asphalt exceeds roughly 300 feet a turnaround is typically required to avoid repeated backing and hose complications.

As an alternative to installing long turnarounds or extended hardened access, Peterson said the department often permits a code modification to rely on automatic fire sprinklers for single‑family homes (‘‘NFPA 13D’’ for one‑ and two‑family dwellings). He described the permitting workflow: the owner notes the sprinkler approach on plans, the building division accepts a delayed submittal for the sprinkler design and third‑party review, and the fire prevention office performs its inspection before final sign‑offs.

Peterson also discussed WUI hazard scoring, noting that a site assessment that accounts for topography, access, water and utilities yields a severity score (moderate, high or extreme) and an exterior ignition rating (IR‑1 to IR‑3). Those scores establish recommended defensible‑space distances — about 30 feet for moderate, 50 feet for high and 100 feet for extreme hazards — and inform whether sprinklers or additional access measures are needed. ‘‘If we can maintain road widths and not try to diminish them, we’ll greatly enhance evacuation and save many lives,’’ Peterson said, citing lessons from major wildfires.

Staff and commissioners asked the chief to review draft ordinance language to make measurement conventions explicit (for example, measuring from the near edge of pavement to the structure) and to confirm details such as acceptable turnaround geometries (hammerhead, cul‑de‑sac or alternate T/K‑type designs). Commissioners asked staff (Matt and Jody) to incorporate the chief’s specifications into Title 14/Title 19 language and return a consolidated draft for internal review before public circulation to the City Council.