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Fire Prevention
Fire Prevention and Hazardous Materials Safety
The first priority of the Fire Prevention Section of the Orange City Fire Department is to prevent loss of life and property, and to prevent damage to the environment. The second goal is to build safety into buildings and processes, in order to contain or limit the spread of a potential emergency.
The activities of the Fire Prevention Section can be classed into 1) Environmental Safety and 2) Fire and Life Safety. Environmental Safety encompasses vegetation management, hazardous materials disclosure, and underground storage tanks. Fire and Life Safety includes planning and development, annual occupancy inspections, special events permitting, and fire cause investigation.
- Fire Investigation
- High Rise Program
- Plan Review
- Special Events Permits
- State Licensed Facilities
- Vegetation Management
- Fire Inspection Clearance Form
Integral to Prevention and Suppression of Fires
Fire/Arson Investigation is an integral component of community risk reduction, along with prevention and suppression of fires. Beyond its tremendous value of investigating fires, which is detailed below, this unit increases the efficiency of the fire department by reducing the frequency of intentional false calls to the department. Reducing false alarms allows the fire crews to stay available for genuine fire, medical, and other emergency response. The Unit also pursues potentially fraudulent private sector fire inspections.
Duties
The Fire/Arson Investigation Unit is responsible for investigating and determining the cause and origin of suspicious fires involving death or injury, and fires of undetermined origin.
Other duties include:
- Arresting suspects and filing criminal charges as required with District Attorney's office.
- Collecting and maintaining all evidence.
- Conducting and documenting interviews with witnesses and/or suspects.
- Performing and assisting with environmental crime investigations as needed.
- Responsible for supervising the Juvenile Fire-setting Intervention Program.
- Writing/filing investigation reports.
Inspections, Requirements
There are 29 high-rise buildings located in the city of Orange. Each of these buildings is inspected annually, as required by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. High-rise buildings are required to meet specialized requirements based on limited exiting facilities, and the possibility of fire and smoke spread through the building.
Following Building Codes
Recognizing these issues, the State of California requires all high-rise office buildings to establish and maintain evacuation plans for their occupants in accordance with Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations, and to submit a copy of those plans to the Orange City Fire Department for approval. High-rise buildings are also required to meet State Fire Marshal regulations related to fire and panic safety as found in the California Building Code.
Related Contacts
Please contact Fire Safety Specialist Dale Eggleston at (714) 288-2561 any questions you might have regarding annual inspection requirements in high-rise buildings. Please contact Deputy Fire Marshal Casey Fieldhouse with questions regarding emergency evacuation planning.
Services
The safety of people, preservation of the environment and protection of property is of primary importance during the planning stages of any residence or business. For new buildings, safety is addressed through the plan review process. Site inspections are made of new construction and tenant improvement projects to confirm that projects are built per plan, and that there are not any special conditions on site that were not included and approved during the plan review process.Requirements and Permit Submission Details
Plans drawn in accordance with the current California Fire and Building Code requirements, as adopted by the City of Orange, are required in order to receive approval for conditions requiring a permit. Please call the Building Division of the Community Development Department at (714) 744-7200 for any questions regarding building plans. The Fire Prevention Section of the Fire Department can help you with permit questions regarding occupancies regulated by the California State Fire Marshal, fire protection systems, hazardous processes and equipment, site access and water supply, fuel modification in the wildland urban interface, hazardous materials storage and use, and other miscellaneous topics regulated by the fire code official. Please browse this section of the website to find general information regarding general submittal requirements, design standards, standard notes to include on plans, a consultant list, and new businesses/leases.Assisting you with your project is our pleasure.
Request for Information
Complete the Request for Information (PDF).The following special events require issuance of a fire permit. In order to obtain a permit, the event must pass the fire inspection process and the fees associated with obtaining a permit must be paid. To schedule a special event inspection or for questions regarding the requirement for the process, please call (714)288-2553 with any questions you might have regarding special events.
- Carnivals and Fairs
- Christmas Tree Lots
- Exhibits
- Fees Fireworks - Public Display Permit (PDF)
- Miscellaneous Special Events
- Tents and Canopies
The City of Orange Fire Department conducts State Fire Clearance inspections of State-licensed residential facilities and educational facilities. People who are unable to care for themselves due to age or developmental disability, or are placed non-voluntarily by the State occupy these facilities. Please call (714)288-2553 with any questions regarding these facilities.
Large Family Day-Care Requirements
A Large Family Day-Care Home is a provider's own home licensed to provide day-care for periods less than 24 hours a day for 9 to 14 persons, including children under the age of 10 years who reside at the home. They require operation licenses from the State of California, and may be classified as "Adult Day-care Facilities, Family Day-care Homes, Adult Day-support Centers, Day-care Centers for Mildly Ill Children, Infant Care Centers, and School Age Child Day-care Centers." As part of the licensing process, the City of Orange Fire Department assists home operators by conducting site inspections to achieve a fire clearance. Fire clearance requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A preinspection fee of $50 to be paid prior to a site inspection.
- A permit application must be obtained from the Planning Division. Contact the Planning Division at (714) 744-7220 for an application.
- A business license is required. Contact the Finance Department at (714) 744-2270 for information on how to obtain a business license.
- Large family day-care homes shall be equipped with state fire marshal-approved and listed single-station residential-type smoke detectors. The number and placement of smoke detectors shall be determined by the Fire Department.
- Large family day-care homes shall be equipped with a portable fire extinguisher and have a minimum 2-A:10-B:C rating. All fire extinguishers shall have a California State Fire Marshal tag certifying that they have been serviced within the past 12 months.
- Every large family day-care home shall provide and maintain devices suitable for sounding a fire alarm. The location of the fire alarm and plan submittal must be approved by the Fire Department. One manual pull station and a bell or horn must be provided. An electrical and building permit must be obtained from the Building Department, and the work must be completed by a "C-10 inches state-licensed electrical contractor. The following information must be submitted for the fire alarm plan approval by the Fire Department:
- Submit four sets of plans.
- Identify on the floor plan the manufacturer name, model number and California State Fire Marshal listing number for each device.
- Provide the manufacturer specifications and California State Fire Marshal listing sheets for each device.
- Identify on the plan that the fire alarm is on a dedicated circuit.
- Identify on the plan how the wiring is connected from the main electrical panel to the devices.
- Identify on the circuit breaker of the panel with a non-removable label or lettering to include "FIRE ALARM DO not TURN-OFF."
- The plans shall be signed by the person taking responsibility of the design and installation.
- Identify on the plan the manufacturer and gauge size of the wire to be used.
- Provide the manufacturer specification sheet for the fire alarm cable used.
- The Building Division must conduct an electrical inspection prior to the Fire Department inspection.
- The Building Division inspection request phone number is (714) 744-7216.
- The Building Division office number is (714) 744-7200.
- Room used for day-care purposes shall not be located above the first story. The use of the second story is prohibited unless the home is equipped with fire sprinklers.
- All large family day-care homes shall be provided with two exits which are remotely located from each other. Every required exit shall be of a size to permit the installation of a door not less than 32 inches in clear width and not less than 6 feet 8 inches in height. A manually operated horizontal sliding door may be used as one of the two exits.
Exit doors, including manually operated horizontal sliding doors, shall be openable from the inside without use of a key or any special knowledge or effort.
Fire drills are recommended once a month. Post an emergency evacuation plan showing the primary and secondary exit routes on the floor plan.
Southern California is known for its beaches, sunshine, and great climate-but also for its brush and Santa Ana winds. One of the ways the City of Orange Fire Department helps the community to stay fire safe is to ensure that overgrown brush does not accumulate throughout the city, and that "defensible space" is established and maintained between urban development and the "wildland" interface.
Weed Abatement
There are generally two cycles per year when weeds are cleared from property lines, road frontages, and buildings. Notices are sent out to property owners notifying them that the vegetation needs to be cleared.
The purpose of the Weed Abatement program is to reduce potential fire hazards due to the accumulation for weeds, dry vegetation and/or rubbish.
Weed Abatement inspections are conducted twice a year. The Spring inspections start in March and the Fall inspections begin in September.
Weed and Rubbish Abatement Standards
- Areas within 100 feet of combustible structures shall be cleared of flammable vegetation and other combustible growth.
- Areas within 10 feet of roads or highways shall be cleared of flammable vegetation and other combustible growth. Fifty feet of clearance is recommended.
- On hillsides where erosion can become a problem, weeds shall be cut and removed so as to leave a maximum of three inches of uncut vegetation as measured from the soil surface.
- In areas not prone to erosion, weeds shall be cut and removed so as to leave a maximum of three inches of uncut vegetation as measured from the soil surface. All cuttings shall be removed or disked into the ground.
- Combustible hazards, i.e.- trash, furniture and wood shall be cleared as required to assure fire safety.
- Any obstruction that hinders the clearance of hazardous combustible material and flammable and combustible vegetation shall be removed.
- Vegetation trimming, combustible debris and dead or dying plant material shall be removed.
- Limbs on trees must be removed six feet from the ground to prevent grass fires from climbing up the trees.
- A 13-foot, 6-inch vertical clearance must be maintained under trees that hang over access for Fire Department vehicles.
- A second phase, of weed removal, may be required due to climatic conditions that may cause a second growth of flammable and combustible vegetation.
- Wood chipping used on horse trails, etc. to prevent weed or grass growth shall be limited to a 5-inch depth.
- Shrubs within 100 feet of combustible structures and 10 feet of roadways shall be limited to two to three feet in height.
- Remove portions of trees that extend within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney.
Fuel Modification
The City of Orange enjoys a natural "wildland" environment on the eastern end of the city. This environment affords wonderful views, a feeling of getting away to the country, and plenty of opportunities for recreation. However, the City of Orange, as well as California as a whole, has experienced very real and sobering property losses due to wildland fires. Most of us remember the firestorms of 1993. Orange lost eight homes in the Stagecoach Fire, while Laguna Beach was hit even harder with the destruction of 366 homes. These losses caused the fire service to look long and hard at the safety of structures in the urban-wildland interface.Fire behavior is dictated by three factors: 1) the lay of the land, 2) weather, and 3) fuel. Southern California experiences some of the fiercest wildland fires in the nation largely due to the chaparral native to the region, and also due to the infamous Santa Ana winds. Fortunately, we can tame fire behavior by controlling the fuel in and around our structures. "Fuel modification" is a term used to describe the transition area beginning with natural vegetation types and amounts, and ending with irrigated, fire resistant vegetation.
Zones
Controlling the types, density, and moisture content of plants - or fuel - is called "fuel modification." By modifying the fuel around our homes, we can create a "defensible space" in which firefighters can work. The fuel is modified in four zones: A, B, C, and D (PDF).The "D" zone is essentially the thinning of the naturally growing vegetation by 30%. All dead and dying plants are removed, as well as undesirable species. This is the zone designed to initially slow the fire, and is generally 50 feet wide.
The "C" zone is thinned to 50% to further slow the fire. It is also 50 feet wide.
The "B" zone is irrigated, and planted with a selected number of fire resistant plant species. Combustible construction is not allowed in the "B" zone. This zone is a minimum of 50 feet in width.
The "A" zone (also known as the "set back" zone) is closest to structures and, as such, is the most highly fire resistant. This zone is 20 feet wide, automatically irrigated, contains no combustible construction, and is pruned to reduce fuel load. Builders occasionally place this zone within the back yards of houses when planning neighborhoods.
Fuel modification zones are carefully designed fire breaks between wildland areas and structures - namely homes. The zones are initially proposed to the fire department by the builders, in blueprint form, when neighborhoods are developed. The plans are then approved by fire department plan checkers just as any other fire protection system would be. Homeowners' associations generally assume the responsibility to maintain those zones as originally approved by the fire department. If the "A" zone falls within homeowners' back yards, the association is responsible for ensuring that the homeowner maintains the approved landscaping (PDF), and that no combustible construction occurs.