Moraga council ratifies updated state fire and WUI codes; MOFD says Zone 0 guidance still pending

Moraga Town Council on Tuesday ratified two ordinances that update the town’s adoption of the state fire code and the California Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) code, approving the measure after a presentation and brief Q&A with Moraga‑Orinda Fire District staff.

Deputy Fire Chief Lucas Lambert told council that the Board of Forestry’s rule‑making process is still under review and that officials are awaiting guidance on the so‑called "Zone 0" provisions. "The board of forestry is where it's held up currently," Lambert said, describing the statewide process that will determine whether additional state restrictions apply in some high‑severity areas.

Fire Marshal Casey Irving clarified how the WUI code applies locally: "The defensible space requirements in the wildland urban interface code are for the state responsibility areas. Most of our jurisdictional area is local response areas, so that will be a separate local ordinance," Irving said. He added that the California WUI code being ratified contains access and building‑standard requirements that apply where the state code is intended to govern.

Council members asked whether the new rules would change requirements for traffic‑calming devices, automatic sprinkler rules for new construction or substantial renovations, and fire access roads. The district’s staff said the ordinance being ratified mostly adopts existing state standards or clarifies testing and monitoring requirements (for example, UL listing for monitoring companies) rather than imposing new local retrofit mandates. On sprinklers, the staff said requirements depend on occupancy type and on whether the work qualifies as a substantial addition or alteration.

The council moved and voted to ratify the ordinances, with the mayor noting the town’s ongoing coordination with MOFD on implementation and further local rules if the Board of Forestry issues new Zone 0 requirements.

The district said it expects additional statewide action in the coming months and will return with updates once the Board of Forestry completes its public‑comment process. The council recorded the item as approved and thanked MOFD personnel for their service.