City code to get tighter for fire safety

The threat of wildfire hitting Sisters is at the forefront of people’s minds as they watch the destruction underway in Southern California (See related story.).

Coincidentally, Sisters City Council got a look at the latest iteration by staff of the changes to the Sisters Development Code (SDC) regarding defensible space at the January 8, regular council meeting. The proposed changes focus on enhancing and improving fire mitigation and safety codes for all new development in Sisters. This includes development to add new structures or buildings on existing properties.

The process to change code is lengthy, yet Council had previously determined, regardless the hazard maps that split our city between high and medium risk, that Sisters would make code changes soon and require the same fire-mitigating codes for the entire city to assure the safety of all residents and businesses.

Since spring last year, staff has moved to add such code enhancements. Council had provided changes and considerations for each draft, so this was a review of the third draft. Council’s latest changes were few, with one to incorporate, as staff deemed appropriate, the recommendations from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), a group on the leading edge of best practices in this area. Principal Planner, Matthew Martin, noted that his research included IBHS’s publication “Wildland Fire Embers and Flames: Home Mitigations That Matter.”

Martin shared the most recent updates to the code which include:

• IBHS’s stricter standard of no vegetation within five feet of a building/structure. There is room for exceptions via a review process.

• IBHS’s higher standards of spacing and trimming for shrubs and trees located beyond five feet of a building or structure and large trees trimmed up 10 feet.

• Council to consider adding, or not, the removal of tandem fencing where flammable debris can accumulate between the two parallel fences that are within three feet or less of each other.

• City of Ashland code for accessory structures/buildings on a property, a threshold of 200 square feet or more if within 30 feet of the main structure/building, that for such additions all fire mitigation codes would apply.

• Recently updated list of fire-resistant plants ( https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/pnw-590-fire-resistant-plants-home-landscapes ) and the City’s prohibited flammable plants. Staff recommended Council approve the latter list per resolution rather than as a code update, to expedite future updates.

Council discussed including the maintenance of the plant lists and particularly, focused on the thresholds for additions on existing properties. Councilors Michael Preedin and Gary Ross suggested having a percentage of the property, rather than the square footage of the addition, would be a usable threshold in the code. They suggested looking at other city examples. This effort will be continued.