Martinez moves to adopt 2025 fire and wildland interface code amendments to match county standards

City building staff on Feb. 18 recommended that Martinez ratify the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s locally adopted amendments to the 2025 Fire and Wildland-Urban Interface Codes to ensure consistent enforcement across district boundaries.

Mike Leonteodis, the city’s chief building official, explained that the county’s amendments focus on areas mapped as higher wildfire risk and contain changes to defensible-space fencing provisions, expanded sprinkler requirements in certain residential scenarios, strengthened fire access standards, updated permitting triggers for fire protection systems and enhanced operational permit and testing requirements. The mapping shown to council distinguishes high and moderate hazard zones and narrows the areas previously designated very-high hazard.

Leonteodis said the amendments are designed to reduce ignition risk from embers and align local operational requirements with current wildfire models. He recommended that the council conduct a public hearing, waive reading, and introduce an ordinance to adopt the 2025 codes with the district’s local amendments by reference.

Council members asked clarifying questions about the scope, applicability to historic properties and exceptions for agricultural or non-WUI areas; staff said practical limitations and local discretion remain for specific sites. After public comment (none for this item), a council member moved to introduce the ordinance as recommended; the motion passed by unanimous vote.

The introduction of the ordinance starts the formal ratification process; staff said the city will repeal its older local fire provisions and replace them with the newly adopted code sections to maintain consistency with county enforcement and emergency response expectations.