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,is well ,~s a series of appendices that allow
<br />the assessment of wildland fire risk for a par-
<br />ticular home or subdivisioo. States adopting
<br />ii-s provisions include Florida, California, and
<br />Washin~,ton, but states as diverse as
<br />PennsyD~ania, Montana, North Carolina,
<br />Colorado, Minnesota, and New Mexico use the
<br />hazard ,]ssessment checklist as the basis for
<br />!heir local risk and vulnerability assessment
<br />activil'ie'~J. Hundreds of local §overnments
<br />have ,]lsd adopted it by reference or with
<br />adaptations, or use the hazard assessment
<br />ch~]~:Mist. A searchable National Wildfire
<br />ProEr~]rns Database at www.wildfirepro-
<br />3rams.usda.~ov/ offers full references.
<br /> The model describes a multiagency oper-
<br />at[nnal plan for the protection of lives and
<br />pro~)ert,/dur n§ a wildfire, which §Des beyond
<br />l-he ~ypical land.use and build[n§ require-
<br />me~lts in most ordinances re3arding Wildfire.
<br />The op~rational plan must contain command,
<br />trairfin~, community notification and involve-
<br />~nerlt, and evacuation and mutual assistance
<br />,:(ernents. These elements ensure a coordi-
<br />hat,Id response amon~ the various agencies
<br />.Jnd organizations, indudin§ fire departments,
<br />social 5~frvice a§enc es, the local media, and
<br />iaw enfo~ce~nent in respondin~ to a wildfire. _
<br /> The ICC code covers administration, deft-
<br />niti~]ns, WUI areas and requirements, special
<br />i)uildin~ ,:onstruction re§ulations, fire protec-
<br />tion requirements, and referenced standards.
<br />..'jomrmm[ties around the country adopt the
<br />code. ~)tterl with minor modifications to reflect
<br />k~c,tl c~uditi~ns. The local le§isiat ye body
<br />d~_~;iEna(es ~he WIJI area within its jurisdiction
<br />based oo findin§s of fact concerning climate,
<br />~o!)o!;~.:H)h,/. ve§etative character, and other
<br />,:i~;m]c'.~:ristics affectin§ the area. The code
<br />remote,, [he area Io be recorded on maps and
<br />
<br />filed with the local government clerk: The code
<br />official must reevaluate and recommend mod-
<br />ification to the interface area at least once
<br />every three years, or more often if necessary.
<br />Under the code, a permit is required for build-
<br />logs or structures in the area, unless the activ-
<br />i~.is covered by permits issued under the
<br />buildin$ or fire code. A variety of plans accom-
<br />pany the permit appfication: a site plan show-
<br />ing, amah§ other thin§s, topography, ve§eta-
<br />tiao, types of ignition-resistant buildin§
<br />construction, and roof classifications; a ve§e-
<br />ration management, plan; and a fire protection
<br />plan, where required by the code official.
<br />
<br />Urban-Wil. dland Fuel Modification
<br />Interface Area Distance (in feet)
<br />
<br />Moderate hazard 3o
<br />High hazard 5o
<br />Extreme hazard zoo
<br />Source: International Co~e Council
<br />
<br /> The cede uses a slidin§ distance scale,
<br />linked'to the severity of the fire hazard, in set-
<br />ting standards for defensible space around
<br />new and existin~ structures. A "defensible
<br />space" is an "area either natural or manmade,
<br />where material capable of allowing a fire to
<br />spread unchecked has been treated, cleared,
<br />or modified to slow the rate and intensity of .
<br />an advancing wildfire and to create an area for
<br />fire suppressibn operations to occur" (Chapter
<br />2, Section 2o2). The code official is responsi-
<br />ble for determining the nature of the severity.
<br />Appendix G of the code contains a fire hazard
<br />rating form incorporated into the code for this
<br />purpose. By evaluati.ng subdivision design,
<br />vegeta[i?n, topography, roofing, fire protec-
<br />
<br />tiao water sources, existing building construc-
<br />tion materials, and utilities, the code officia/
<br />can establish whether the hazard is moderate,
<br />high, or extreme.
<br />
<br />FLORIDA MODEL ORDINANCE
<br />The state of Florida has published an anno-
<br />tated model wildfire mitigation ordinance as
<br />part of a manual on best practices. It
<br />focuses on risk reduction in defined wildfire
<br />hazard areas. The ordinance assigns admin-
<br />istrative and'enforcement responsibilities to
<br />a wildfire mitigation official. A wildfire mill-
<br />§arian review board, which appoints the offi-
<br />cial, serves as an appellate body for affected
<br />landowners who wish to appeal the official's
<br />actions. The overlay district regulations are
<br />applicable to land-use changes, subdivi-
<br />sions, site plans, building permits, and all
<br />special use permits, including conditional
<br />uses and variances.
<br /> This model does not contain standards
<br />for identifying the WUI or hi§h-risk areas
<br />within the interface. Rather, it states that the
<br />WUI delineation must be based on findings of
<br />Pad: and the high-risk areas be §ased on data
<br />obtained from the Florida Wildfire Risk
<br />Assessment, the state-published Wildfire
<br />Hazard Assessment Manual for Florida
<br />Homeowners, or any study "supported by
<br />competent and substantial evidence."
<br /> While the standards for fuel reduction
<br />and defensible space maintenance are similar
<br />to other wildfire ordinances reviewed, several
<br />interesting provisions in this model deserve
<br />consideration for application elsewhere:
<br />
<br />· , Provisions for tree protection. For communi-
<br /> ties that mi§hi have tree protection ordi-
<br /> nances that would otherwise require local
<br /> government permission to remove a tree, the .
<br />
<br />ZONINGPRACTICE 3.o5
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 3
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