CSAC Bulletin Article

Emergency Fire Safe Regulations Now in Effect

July 30,2020

This week, the Office of Administrative Law submitted an approved emergency rulemaking regarding Fire Safe Regulations to the Secretary of State. These new rules are now in effect across the state. Earlier this year, the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) decided to move forward with an emergency rulemaking to clarify the applicability of the existing SRA Fire Safe Regulations and inspection authorities to increase the availability of affordable housing in the state and improve the safety of communities developed in the SRA.

Specifically, the proposed emergency changes were adopted in part in address conflicts with the recently passed AB 881 (Chapter 659, Statutes of 2019). AB 881 restricted limitations on the development of Accessory Dwelling Units and Board staff felt that this new law was creating confusion and conflict with the previous version of the Regulations in the State Responsibility Area. The Board also noted that it was receiving inquiries from local fire officials on how to apply the previous SRA regulations after the passage of AB 881. In addition, the new regulations also made clarifying changes to rebuilds after disaster.

The Board will pursue a more comprehensive formal rulemaking to make more changes to the Fire Safe Regulations in the coming months. CSAC will closely monitor this new rulemaking as it moves forward.

The new emergency fire safe regulations can be found here.

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