Murrieta council holds first readings for 2025 building, fire and wildland urban interface codes; public hearings set Nov. 18

Murrieta city staff presented first readings Nov. 4 for ordinances to adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and two related ordinances adopting the 2025 California Fire Code and the 2025 Wildland Urban Interface Code. Council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinances and schedule public hearings for Nov. 18.

Andy Crowe, the city’s building official, said the state’s three‑year code cycle updates take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and the city must adopt the new codes or the state baseline will apply. He highlighted key statewide changes: the California Energy Code sets electrification as the baseline for energy calculations (while still allowing natural gas), and the California Green Code significantly increases required functional electric-vehicle chargers for new construction.

Fire staff explained the 2025 California Fire Code updates (based on the 2024 International Fire Code) and the new Wildland Urban Interface code, which consolidates wildfire-related provisions. The fire presentation covered local amendments retained to reflect Murrieta’s conditions and several substantive provisions: amended outdoor-fireplace standards to permit gas or propane fireplaces closer to structures under controlled conditions (staff said 10 feet remains the working distance for wood burning but gas fireplaces are viewed as more controllable), amendments to align radio communications with PSEC requirements, and increased fire-flow requirements in areas mapped as high or very-high fire severity (staff noted an additional 500 gallons per minute in specified zones).

Council members asked whether the city was making local amendments or accepting state code as-is. Crowe replied that on the building-code side staff was recommending acceptance of the state baseline; the fire-code item includes specified local amendments. Council and staff discussed implementation details for higher fire-flow requirements: options include on-site tanks or eligible reductions where properties install an enhanced fire sprinkler (a 13R system) that would reduce water-storage requirements.

With no public comments on the first readings, Councilmember Holiday moved and Mayor Pro Tem LaVille seconded the motion to conduct the first reading and introduce the building-code ordinance; the motion passed 5-0. Later the council moved and approved first readings of the fire-code and wildland urban interface ordinances by the same margin and scheduled second readings/public hearings for Nov. 18.