ANAHEIM : Workshop to Focus on Tighter Fire Rules

State-mandated fire prevention measures and how they would affect property owners in east Anaheim will be discussed at a community workshop.

The City Council-sponsored workshop will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at Fire Station No. 9, 6300 E. Nohl Ranch Road. This public session will take place one day before the council is expected to take action on tougher fire prevention standards.

At issue is the portion of Anaheim east of the Costa Mesa Freeway and south of the Riverside Freeway.

This area of brush-covered hills and canyons has been identified by the California Department of Forestry as being especially prone to fires.

A state law enacted in response to the deadly Oakland Hills brush fires of 1991 requires cities to impose stricter fire prevention standards in high-risk areas.

The Anaheim Fire Department is recommending that council members designate undeveloped land in east Anaheim as a “very high fire-hazard severity zone,” and classify developed property as a “special protection area.”

Both classifications would establish more stringent regulations for brush clearance and require fire-resistant roofing materials for all new buildings and for existing structures that are being re-roofed.

The other option for the council would be to designate the entire area as a “very high fire-hazard severity zone.”

But that approach could result in lower property values and higher insurance rates for homeowners, city spokesman Bret Colson said.

City Fire Marshal Gary Wilder said residents would receive equal protection under either option before the council.