Corona del Mar Residents Association (CdMRA) News

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Corona del Mar, CA
92625

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Volunteers working since 1987 to protect, preserve and improve our community's quality of life

Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones In Newport Beach (now defined as all homes on or east of Orchid Ave)

Senate Bill 1595, which became law on January 1, 2009, requires the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to identify and classify

very

high fire hazard severity zones

(VHFHSZ)

throughout California and for sharing this information with local agencies, such as the City of Newport Beach. The

information enables local officials to identify measures to help mitigate the rate at which a fire will spread, and help reduce the potential intensity of uncontrolled fires

that threaten to destroy resources, life, or property. In turn, local agencies are responsible for making CAL FIRE’s recommendations available for public review and

designating, by ordinance, very high fire hazard severity zones within their jurisdictions. The matter comes before City Council on February 14 to meet that obligation.

And on February 9, a public Information Meeting will be held to provide this information to residents impacted by these changes. Essentially, all homes on or east of

Orchid Ave now fall within the VHFH

SZ.

Briefly, landowners whose property is located within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) will be required to:

Provide defensible space if the home directly abuts a canyon or other wildland space. The amount of defensible space required will be a minimum of 100 feet, or to the home owner’s
property line, from any occupied dwelling or structure. Creating defensible space involves removing or modifying flammable vegetation to reduce the threat from an oncoming wildfire. It
gives firefighters the ability to effectively defend and potentially save a home from burning.
Any new construction, reconstruction or additions are required to comply with the California Building Code Chapter 7A “Fire Resistive Construction”. This chapter of the Building Code
requires the use of “Ignition Resistant Materials” for such things as decks and building sidings. It also requires vents that won’t allow for ember intrusion into attic space and dual glazed
windows and doors that will stand up to radiated heat from a wildfire.
Any Real Estate transaction will require the disclosure that the property is located in a VHFHSZ area
Homes and businesses that are located in the VHFHSZ that do not abut a wildland area, and all other homes and businesses in Newport Beach would still be required to conform to the
existing fire code regulations regarding weeds and dead or dying vegetation per Section 305 of the California Fire Code.

An additional 1734 homes will now be impacted by the proposed Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone regulations, including homes on or east of Orchid Ave in Corona del Mar. Two very
helpful resources are now available on the city's webiste:

Interactive Street Address Map: Enter your address to find out which Special Fire Protection Area you live in (Enter Address, Click Search, then Click on Map)
Q&A Matrix: Based on which fire zone your house is located in using the above map, you will find answers to eight frequently asked questions

For additional information on this important topic and general fire safety information:

Newport Beach Fire Dept: click here
Cal Fire's Homeowner Checklist: click here
Staff Report & Proposed Ordinance: click here
Firewise.org: Click here
Home Safety (92625): Click here

wport Beach Aviation Committee - Monthly Updates

CdMRA

in the process of working with city, county and airport officials to investigate CdM resident complaints about aircraft traffic over Corona del Mar. JWA

handles

two classes of airplanes: passenger aircraft and general aviation aircraft (cargo planes, private planes, etc.). Those two classes are governed by different

rules and

operating procedures. We are focusing our attention on the passenger aircraft rules and procedures. We will post

information and updates on our website

as it

becomes available.

News Resources

below

for additional information and organizations

Community Development Department

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building, planning, and code enforcement services.

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