CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
STAFF REPORT
November 17, 2025
To: City Council
From: Department of Environmental Services
Stratis Perros, Environmental Services Director
Subject: Adoption of Resolution No. 2025-35 ratifying the local Fire Code amendments in Article 3, Section 903, Article 3, Appendix B, and Article 4, Section 604.11 of the Ventura County Fire Protection District Ordinance No. 34 to be effective within the City
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council adopt the resolution (Attachment A) ratifying the local building standard amendments contained in Ventura County Fire Protection District's Ordinance No. 34.
Background
On October 14, 2025, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, acting as a Ventura County Fire Protection District board, approved Ordinance No. 34. Ordinance No. 34 is the triennial adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code with local amendments. The local amendments contained in Ordinance No. 34 are building standards that exceed those adopted by the California State Fire Marshal and require the City Council to ratify these local standards to be effective within the City. These local amendments are currently adopted within the City under the previous Ordinance No. 32. The Ventura County Fire Protection District has the responsibility for enforcing the California State Fire Marshal requirements contained in the California Fire Code within the City of Simi Valley.
Discussion
The Fire District may adopt more restrictive building standards in accordance with California Health and Safety Code 13869.7, provided those standards are ratified by the legislative body where the standards will be enforced. Assembly Bill 130 of 2025 created a moratorium on local code amendments that affect housing projects after September 30, 2025. The proposed amendments for consideration and ratification are existing local building standards that are currently in effect within the City. In addition, AB 130 contains an exception that allows the Fire District to propose fire hardening standards for dwellings as local amendments, should it be necessary in the future.
This resolution specifically ratifies: Article 3, Section 903 - building standards related to automatic fire sprinkler systems, Article 3, Appendix B - building standards relating to fire flow requirements, and Article 4, Section 604.11 - building standards relating to combustible fencing, (Attachment B).
AGENDA ITEM NO.
Consent (10)
The building standards contained in Article 3, Section 903 of Ordinance No. 34 have been in effect within the City since June 3, 1982, Article 3, Appendix B has been in effect since January 1991, and Article 4, Section 604.11 has been in effect since January 1, 2023.
Financial Impact
No additional financial impact or change of service levels.
Council Priority
This item supports the Thriving Community Pillar of Excellence. Updating and maintaining Fire Code standards ensures that buildings are designed and constructed to meet minimum standards fire safety, thereby reducing risks of injury, property loss, and unsafe living conditions.
Suggested Motion
I move to adopt Resolution No. 2025-35 ratifying local Fire Code amendments contained in Ventura County Fire Protection District's Ordinance No. 34.
Summary
On October 14, 2025, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Ventura County Fire Protection District board, approved Ordinance No. 34. Ordinance No. 34 is the triennial adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code with local amendments. The local amendments contained in Ordinance No. 34 are building standards that exceed those adopted by the California State Fire Marshal and require the City Council to ratify these local standards to be effective within the C ity. These local amendments are currently adopted within the City under the previous Ordinance No. 32. The Ventura County Fire Protection District has the responsibility for enforcing the California State Fire Marshal requirements contained in the California Fire Code within the City of Simi Valley. Staff recommends the City Council adopt the resolution (Attachment A) ratifying the local building standard amendments contained in Ventura County Fire Protection District's Ordinance No. 34.
Prepared by: Ted Drago, Deputy Environmental Services Director/Building Official
Attachments
Attachment A – Resolution No. 2025-35
Attachment B – VCFPD, Ordinance No. 34, Amendments
2 Attachment A
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-35
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SIMI VALLEY RATIFYING THE VENTURA COUNTY FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT’S ORDINANCE NO. 34 ARTICLE
3, SECTION 903, ARTICLE 3, APPENDIX B, AND ARTICLE
4, SECTION 604.11 PERTAINING TO BUILDING
STANDARDS TO BE EFFECTIVE WITHIN THE
JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF SIMI
VALLEY
WHEREAS, the City of Simi Valley lies within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Ventura County Fire Protection District; and
WHEREAS, the Ventura County Fire Protection District has responsibility for fire protection within said jurisdictional boundaries; and
WHEREAS, the Ventura County Fire Protection District did on October 14, 2025, adopt Fire Protection District Ordinance No. 34, repealing Ordinances No. 29 and 32, and adopted the 2025 California Fire Code (CFC) together with Appendix Chapters D and P, portions of the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code (IFC), portions of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (CWUIC), portions of the 2024 edition of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), portions of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations, with additions, deletions and amendments thereto; and
W
HEREAS, Article 3 Section 903, Article 3 Appendix B, and Article 4 Section 604.11 of said amendments constitute amendments to building standards relating to fire and life safety adopted by the State Fire Marshal and contained in the California Building Standards Code; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 13869.7(c) of the California Health and Safety Code, amendments containing such building standards are not effective within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City until ratified by the City Council; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council ratifies without modification Article 3 Section 903, Article 3 Appendix B, and Article 4 Section 604.11 of Ventura County Fire Protection District Ordinance No. 34 to be effective within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City..
SECTION 1. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the Office of the City Clerk.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 17th day of November 2025.
3 Attest:
Lucy Blanco, City Clerk Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Mayor of the City of Simi Valley, California
Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:
Algeria R. Ford, City Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager
Stratis Perros,
Environmental Services Director
4 RES. NO. 2025-35
Attachment B
EXCERPTS FROM
VENTURA COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ORDINANCE NUMBER 34
SHOWING PROVISIONS REQUIRING RATIFICATION
ARTICLE 3, SECTION 903, ARTICLE 3, APPENDIX B, AND ARTICLE 4, SECTION 604.11
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
Section 903.1.2 is added to read as follows:
903.1.2 Concurrent permits. Additions or modifications where the application for a building permit is submitted prior to the final inspection of any previously issued building permit(s) shall require the installation of an automatic fire sprinkler system throughout the entire Structure when the area of the addition or modification of all open permits combined with the new application exceed the exceptions listed under Article 3, Section 903.2.
Section 903.1.3 is added to read as follows:
903.1.3 Maintenance of area separation walls. Area separation walls used to create fire areas less than 5,000 square feet of floor area (5,000 Gross Square Feet for Group R-3 Occupancies) in Buildings constructed under the original accepted building permit application dated prior to November 1, 2002, shall be maintained with no openings as approved. If the approved area separation walls are not maintained, the affected fire areas, as determined by the Fire Code Official, shall be retrofitted with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system.
S
ection 903.1.4 is added to read as follows:
903.1.4 Change of use. Any change of use of a Group U Occupancy, that reclassifies to a new occupancy classification that would not have been exempt from fire sprinklers due to existing size, use, fire-flow, access requirements, or distance to a fire station under a previous Fire District Ordinance in effect at the time the building permit was issued, shall provide fire sprinklers within the Existing Building. Allowance in Article 3, Section 903.2 item number 2 shall not apply. This section does not limit the requirements for fire sprinklers for the new occupancy classification under the current California Building and Fire Codes.
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Section 903.2 is amended to read as follows:
903.2 Where required. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 3, Sections 903.1.1 through 903.1.4 and 903.2.1 through 903.2.21 an approved automatic fire sprinkler system shall be installed in Buildings and Structures as follows:
1. An automatic fire sprinkler system shall be installed in all New Buildings.
Exceptions:
A. Group U Occupancies when approved by the Fire Code Official.
B. Small agricultural produce stands as defined and constructed in accordance with the current edition of the Ventura County Building Code (VCBC) which comply with all of the following:
1. Floor area of the Structure does not exceed 400 square feet
2. Separated from other Buildings a minimum of 30 feet
C. Picnic and lunch shelter Structures which comply with all of the following:
1. Use is defined as a Group A-2 or A-3 Occupancy by the Building Department
2. Shall not exceed 1,500 square feet of floor area for an A-2 Occupancy or 4,500 square feet for an A-3 Occupancy
3. Separated from other Buildings a minimum of 30 feet
4. O nly picnic tables and chairs are located underneath the shelter
5. Shall not have any enclosed space underneath the shelter covering
6. Shall be located at grade level around the entire shelter
7. Open on all sides from finished grade to a height of 10 feet above finished grade
8. Structural columns and other architectural features may not obstruct more than 10% of the opening length around the Structure
9. Shall have no obstructions that will hinder egress within 10 feet of the exterior perimeter of the shelter for a distance of 75% of the opening length around the shelter
10. A food preparation surface area may be located along one opening, but shall not obstruct more than 20 feet or 10% of the opening length, whichever is less
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11. May be constructed of any materials allowed by the California Building Code (CBC)
12. Any roof covering shall be non-combustible if not an open trellis style shelter
D. S-2 Carport Structures which comply with all of the following:
1. Buildings or Structures shall be freestanding and legally separated from all other Buildings or uses
2. Building shall be constructed of non-Combustible Materials
3. Fire apparatus access shall extend to within 25 feet of all portions of the interior of the Carport as measured by an approved route around the exterior of the Building or Structure
2. An approved automatic fire sprinkler system shall be installed in Buildings or Structures with additions as determined by the following:
A. Additions to legally existing Group R-3 Occupancies, inclusive of attached Group U Occupancies where the addition is both greater than 1,000 square feet and greater than 50% of the existing legal Gross Square Feet of the Structure
B. All occupancies other than Group R-3, where an addition is greater than 25% of the legally existing floor area of the Structure Exception: Group U Occupancies when approved by the Fire Code Official
C. W here additions to Existing Buildings or Structures increase the allowable area beyond that permissible in Article 3, Sections 903.2.1 through 903.2.21 for non-sprinklered Buildings
3. Change of use shall require fire sprinklers in accordance with Article 3, Sections 903.2.1 through 903.2.21.
4. Mobile homes, manufactured homes, and multi-family manufactured homes with up to two dwelling units that are manufactured in accordance with Title 25 of the California Code of Regulations.
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Section 903.3.1.2.3 is amended to read as follows:
903.3.1.2.3 Attics. Attic protection shall be provided as follows:
Attics shall be protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system.
Exceptions:
1.1. Attics constructed with only noncombustible materials.
1.2. Attics constructed with only fire-retardant-treated wood complying with Section 2303.2 of the California Building Code.
1.3. Attics filled with noncombustible insulation.
2. Where fuel-fired equipment is installed in an unsprinklered attic, not fewer than one quick-response intermediate temperature sprinkler shall be installed above the equipment.
3. Attics that are used for storage or intended for living purposes shall be protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system.
APPENDIX B
VCFPD FIRE-FLOW REQUIREMENTS
Section B103.3 is amended to read as follows:
B103.3 Areas without water supply systems. For information regarding water supplies for fire-fighting purposes in rural areas in which adequate and reliable water supply systems do not exist, the Fire Code Official is authorized to utilize NFPA 1142 or the Ventura County Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
S
ection B103.4 is added to read as follows:
B103.4 Inadequate water purveyors. New Buildings and uses requiring a water demand, domestic and or fire-flow, shall not be permitted.
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SECTION 604.11
FENCING
Section 604.11 is added to read as follows:
604.11 Fencing.
Section 604.11.1 is added to read as follows:
604.11.1 Scope. This section only applies to fences, including gates within the fencing, within 5 feet of Building(s), including Decks, (Zone 0) that are in the WUI area.
Section 604.11.2 is added to read as follows:
604.11.2 New fencing. New fencing and gates installed on or after January 1, 2023, shall be constructed of a noncombustible material.
Section 604.11.3 is added to read as follows:
604.11.3 Existing fencing. Fencing installed prior to January 1, 2023, may remain.
Exception: The entire fencing not parallel and within 5 feet of the Building, including gates within the fencing, shall be constructed of a noncombustible material when any portion of the existing fencing within 5 feet is being replaced. Fencing beyond 5 feet from the Building is not required to be replaced with noncombustible material. 9