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ORDINANCE NO. 3418
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORONA,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE CITY OF CORONA
LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONES MAP TO DESIGNATE MODERATE,
HIGH AND VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
AND AMENDING CHAPTER 15.16 OF THE CORONA
MUNICIPAL CODE TO UPDATE THE FIRE HAZARD
SEVERITY ZONES REGULATIONS
WHEREAS, Article XI, § 7 of the California Constitution authorizes cities to make and enforce within their limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code §§ 51175 et seq. authorizes the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas due to fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors including areas where winds have been identified as a major cause of wildfire spread; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code § 51178.5 provides that within 30 days after receiving a transmittal from the State Fire Marshal that identifies fire hazard severity zones pursuant to Section 51178, a local agency shall make the information available for public review and comment; and
WHEREAS, the City of Corona (“City”) received a transmittal from the State Fire Marshal that identifies fire hazard severity zones within the City on or about March 24, 2025; and WHEREAS, the information from the State Fire Marshal identifying fire hazard severity zones within the City was made available for public review and comment on March 26, 2025, through an interactive page on the City Fire Department's website, which allowed residents to view the map and submit feedback or call directly. The City also shared multiple social media posts across various platforms and hosted an in-person town hall on May 14, 2025; and WHEREAS, California Government Code § 51179 requires that the City, within 120 days of receiving a transmittal from the State Fire Marshal that identifies fire hazard severity zones within the City, to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in the City; and
WHEREAS, as required by Government Code Section 51179, the City Council of the City of Corona desires to designate the fire hazard severity zones as identified by the State Fire Marshal as required by Government Code Section 51179; and WHEREAS, the City JAMIER\08000.19003\10308287.3
Council also desires to amend Corona Municipal Code (“CMC”) Chapter 15.16 to update the regulations pertaining to fire hazard severity zones to be consistent with state law.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORONA, CALIFORNIA, DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The City Council finds and determines that the foregoing Recitals are true and correct and incorporates the Recitals herein.
SECTION 2. CEQA Findings. This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
This action simply designates fire hazard severity zones as recommended by the California State Fire Marshal pursuant to Government Code Section 51178, as mandated by Government Code Section 51179, and there is no possibility that adopting this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
SECTION 3. Adoption of Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map. The City Council hereby adopts the City of Corona Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map from the Office of the State Fire Marshal dated March 24, 2025 for the incorporated area of the City of Corona.
SECTION 4. Amendment of Chapter 15.16. Chapter 15.16 (Fire Hazard Severity Zones) of Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) of the Corona Municipal Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as set forth in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 5. Severability. If any provision or clause of this Ordinance or any application of it to any person, firm, organization, partnership or corporation is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions of this Ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. To this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable.
SECTION 6. Conflicting Ordinances. This Ordinance shall supersede all other previous City Council resolutions and ordinances that may conflict with, or be contrary to, this Ordinance.
SECTION 7. Effective Date. The Mayor shall sign this Ordinance and the City Clerk shall attest thereto and shall within fifteen (15) days of its adoption cause it, or a summary of it, to be published in a general circulation newspaper published and circulated in the City of Corona. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force on the 30th day after its adoption.
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 4
th day of June, 2025.
_________________________________
Mayor of the City of Corona, California
ATTEST:
____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
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CERTIFICATION
I, Sylvia Edwards, City Clerk of the City of Corona, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Corona, California, duly held on the 21st day of May 2025, and thereafter at a regular meeting held on the 4
th day of June, 2025, it was duly passed and adopted by the following vote of the City Council:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAINED:
ABSENT:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Corona, California, this 4
th day of June, 2025.
___________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
(SEAL)
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EXHIBIT “A”
CHAPTER 15.16
FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
Sections
15.16.010 Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map.
15.16.020 Changes to Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
15.16.030 Building Official responsibility.
15.16.040 Filing of Map with City Clerk.
15.16.050 Posting of notice of Map with County Entities.
15.16.060 Defensible space compliance inspections.
15.16.010 Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map.
The map entitled "Local Responsibility Area - Fire Hazard Severity Zones" dated March 24, 2025 as recommended by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Government Code §§ 51175 et seq., which identifies areas within the city that are within the moderate, high and very high fire hazard severity zones (“FHSZ Map”), is hereby adopted and incorporated in this chapter by this reference. The Fire Hazard Severity Zones (“FHSZ”) are hereby established and declared to be those areas included within the boundary described and set forth in the FHSZ Map.
15.16.020 Changes to Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
(A) The Fire Chief may designate area(s) not identified as very high FHSZ by the State Fire Marshal, as very high FHSZ following a finding by the City Council pursuant to Government Code Section 51179 that is supported by substantial evidence in the record that the very high FHSZ designation is necessary for effective fire protection within the area(s). (B) The Fire Chief may designate area(s) not identified as moderate and high FHSZ by the State Fire Marshal, as moderate and high FHSZ, respectively.
15.16.030 Building Official responsibility.
The FHSZ Map is intended to be used in conjunction with the most current edition of the California Building Code, and supersedes any other maps previously adopted by the city designating fire hazard severity areas. The Building Official shall be responsible for enforcing provisions of the code and other applicable law which may be applicable to property identified on the FHSZ Map within the city, pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 7A of the California JAMIER\08000.19003\10308287.3
Building Code, Section R337 of the California Residential Code, and all other applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
15.16.040 Filing of Map with City Clerk.
The Fire Chief shall cause the most current version of the FHSZ Map to be maintained on file with the office of the City Clerk at all times.
15.16.050 Posting of notice of Map with County Entities.
The Fire Chief shall cause a notice to be posted at the office of the Riverside County Recorder, Riverside County Assessor and the Riverside County Planning Department identifying the location of the FHSZ Map.
15.16.060 Defensible space compliance inspections.
The owner of real property located within a high or very high FHSZ that is subject to the requirements of Civil Code § 1102.19(a)(1), as it may be amended from time to time, may request a defensible space compliance inspection by submitting such request upon a form provided by the Fire Chief for that purpose. The purpose of the defensible space compliance inspection is to document whether the real property complies with the requirements set forth in § 15.12.320 of this code. A request for a defensible space compliance inspection shall be accompanied by an inspection fee in the amount established by resolution of the City Council. A request for a defensible space compliance inspection shall be submitted at least fourteen (14) days prior to the anticipated sale of the real property located within a high or very high FHSZ to provide sufficient time for the Fire Department to conduct the inspection and prepare a report of such inspection.