Title
Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-368; An Ordinance Amending Chapter 10, Building and Building Regulations, Article III, Division 1, Section 10-71, and Chapter 22, Fire Prevention and Protection, Article II, Division 1, Section 22-31, of the Code of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos to include Chapters 2, 5, and 6 of the International Wild Land-Urban Interface Code.
Recommended Action
I move that Council adopt Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-368; and ask staff to assure that it is published in summary form.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council adopt Incorporated County of Los Alamos Code Ordinance No. 02-368
Body
Los Alamos County faces an elevated risk of wildfires due to its unique combination of natural landscape and human development. This vulnerability is particularly pronounced in Los Alamos townsite, where residential and business areas are in close proximity to wildland. As wildfire activity continues to increase nationwide, more state and local governments are adopting regulations for wildland-urban interfaces-areas where human structures and development meet or intermingle with wildland or vegetative fuels.
Recognizing the County's persistent and severe wildfire hazard, the County Fire Marshal and Chief Building Official conducted a thorough evaluation of available data, standards, and industry best practices. Their assessment led to a shared conclusion: for the safety and welfare of the community, it is in the County's best interest to formally designate the entire County as a wildland-urban interface area. As a critical step in this process, they recommended adopting the 2021 edition of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), specifically Chapters 5 and 6, with tailored amendments to address the County's unique needs.
Chapters 5 and 6 of the IWUIC outline essential procedures for mitigating wildland fire risks. These measures will b...
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