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Yuma County to initiate adoption of 2024 fire code; staff to send draft to Planning & Zoning
Summary
After staff described gaps in the county's 2005 fire code for modern technology and large-scale commercial storage, the board directed staff to send the 2024 fire code to Planning & Zoning to initiate the adoption process.
County development services staff presented a plan to update Yuma County's fire code, which was adopted in 2005, to the more recent 2024 edition to address technologies and facilities not covered in the older code, including battery storage for large solar plants and electric-vehicle charging infrastructure.
The presenter said the 2005 code still serves many residential needs but lacks provisions for large-scale commercial uses such as utility-scale solar battery storage and clarified storage rules for industrial areas. Staff emphasized that the building code remains the primary source for residential requirements and that the fire-code update would mainly add clarity for large-scale commercial projects.
Supervisors asked about economic impacts and whether updated requirements would drive people or businesses out of the county; staff said residential impacts would be limited and that the updates were meant to improve safety and regulatory clarity. One supervisor noted state adoption activity and insurance implications as a primary reason to consider updating the county code.
The board directed staff to send the 2024 fire code to the Planning & Zoning Commission to initiate formal adoption procedures; the board did not adopt the code at this meeting and no final vote was taken.
