Who are we? Why are we here ?
• Proactive recognized the impact and effects of new fire code requirements facing our state • Existing Proactive clients were voicing needs for faster turnaround and detailed help with fire codes related to civil engineering • Demand for interaction with the new 2010, 2022, 2026 and recently the 2025 Wildland Interface Codes drove them to step in and develop Proactive Fire Solutions (PFS) • Enter a staff of former OCFA Fire Marshals, Battalion Chiefs, Fire Captains, Fire Preventions Analysts and all started out as firefighters and paramedics
That’s a lot of experience!
The Proactive Fire Solutions Team All members are highly trained in Wildland Interface Fire Control and Fire Protection especially WUIC Fire Prevention
Specialized background training and expertise in Wildland: • Fire behavior • Fire prevention • Mitigation of fire risk • Fuel reduction and modification • Fire resistive landscaping • program management for long term fire safety • WUIC grant writing
The Proactive Fire Solutions Team
Team’s Experience:
Team’s Positions:
• Orange County Fire Authority • FEMA • Central Fire Protection District
• Assistant Chief of Operations • Division Chief • Battalion Chief • Fire Captain • Paramedic • Fire Inspector • Fire Marshal • Sr. Fire Prevention Specialist and Analyst • Rescue Pilot • ALL FIREFIGHTERS
• CA State Marshal • US Forest Service • CA Fire Chiefs Association • American Red Cross • NOAA • National Interagency Fire Center • Maui County Fire Dept • Cities of Vista, Ontario, Corona, National City, Hesperia & Santa Barbara
• Jan. 2025 LA Fire Storm • Conflagration; lasting 3 weeks • Key factors to the destruction of over 13,000 homes/ businesses • 30 plus lives lost & over 250,000 citizens were evacuated • Entire neighborhoods and communities destroyed • Statewide growing problem • Regional growing issue, nationwide, and getting worse
LA FIRES 2024-2025 Malibu, Palisades, SoCal Regions
Spain- Portugal Wildland Fires August 2025
Dry conditions / no measurable precipitation
Structures built in early 1900s with limited access, egress
Contributing Factors
Communities that have not seen such fire conditions
Environmental Factors
Santa Ana winds 45-80 + mph
Water systems not designed to sustain water services for such conflagrations
• Naturally, reoccurring event since the early pre-civilization times • Development expanding and encroaching into the wilderness and fire prone regions • Trabuco / Silverado / Carbon / Richie / Waterman Canyons • Devore region, New Hall- Grapevine, Mountain / Desert regions • History of annual major fire events tied to Santa Ana Winds
California Fire History
Factors: Dry fuels Low humidity Low fuel moistures
Build up of dead, dried fuel combined w/ high wind events (Santa Ana’s)
California Fire Regulations • CA Legislation & Gov. establish laws/policies to prevent wildfires • Cal- Fire (CA Wildland fire agency)– responsible for firefighting & mitigation • Office of Emergency Services ( CalOES) completed a fire hazard severity zone mapping of CA • Initially completed in previous years based on the historic and known high, medium and low fuel zones throughout CA • Reaction to over 63,000 structures being destroyed over the past years.
2025 Post LA Region Conflagrations • Statewide building code requirements greatly expanded • CA minimums created - W ildland U rban I nterface C ode • Cities and Local Fire Responsibility districts WERE
Required to adopt CA State WUIC as baseline standards • Fire behavior, urban sprawl and building construction standards analyzed • Urban sprawl directly increases potential for devastating wildfires • Gave option to enhance and or increase the code standards
2025 Post LA Region Conflagrations
• Early in 2025, partly due to the severe fire storms and large loss fires statewide, the Fire Hazard Severity Zones were revised • Zones expanded to encompassed fire rate of spread, historical and environmental / climatic factors • Hazard Severity Zones ratings formed in April 2025: • Moderate • High • Extremely high
Went from seasonal to year-round fire events
New HOA Codes in Effect Now
HOA regulations and interface requirements are increased in 3-year periods to comply to new standards
• Fire dept. access roads must also be maintained and kept clear • Flammable materials, such as firewood, furniture, or construction debris, must be stored away from buildings and other structures • "Hardscaping" use gravel, concrete, or pavers instead of flammable materials like mulch • Tree branches must be at least 10 ft away from chimneys; remove any dead portions
New construction/renovation requires fire-resistant materials: • Metal roofing • Stucco exteriors • Ember-resistant vents • Tempered glass windows
Compliant and functioning fire protection systems • Regularly inspected and maintained • Fire alarms • Smoke detectors
• Remove dead vegetation
• Emergency lighting • Sprinkler systems
2017-2025 “The Turning Point” Data & Statistics – Beginning kept and analyzed
Case Study 2017 Tubbs Fire Santa Rosa, CA
Tubbs Fire Santa Rosa, CA
• 22 citizens lost their lives • Evacuated Kaiser Hospital-impact to care and treatment • Loss of property a football size area (100 by 50 yards) per minute • Over 5,036 structures lost and or destroyed • Urban setting, non-descriptive interface issues • Sprinklered Commercial structures were destroyed with large fire resistive separations
• October 9, 2017 • Winds up to 68 MPH • Urban flat terrain • Typical community make up • Highest Fire Resistive Construction Code > Hospital • Typical fire behavior as LA fires in 2024-25 • 22 loss of life
Kaiser Hospital Urban
Santa Rosa
After math of the Santa Rosa ( Tubbs Fire ) Santa Rosa After The Fire
Santa Rosa Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The Higher The Structural Risk, The Higher The Fire Safety Needs To Be Wildland clearances ( with ongoing maintenance required ) Firefighting access points to fight approaching wildfires Fire hose access egress-distance travel limitations Slopes, interior & perimeter require fire resistive planting materials HOAs, CC&R with homeowner upkeep of the WUIC regulations Non-combustible envelope around home and developments Documentation on plans (civil) in some cases before recording and construction begins
Does Any Of This Work? The 2010 Fire Code and the Uniform Building Code requirements were modified to include several of these current fire safe construction measures
During the 2025 LA Fire Storm Of the over 13,000 homes and businesses lost only 1% of those that were built with the 2010 code requirements were lost
The codes and preventable actions can and do work!!
INSURANCE AND WUIC
INSURANCE FACTORS WUIC
2026 new criteria can be implemented Several future unknowns Insurance moratorium/cancellation, legislation in 2025 could be lifted Insurance companies leaving and or not renewing policies Cost impact sharing
Insurance companies> increased premiums, refused and/or canceled home insurance polices Risk assessments are currently being made due to regional fire history Alternative insurance coverages through the state high risk coverage
Rate increases from $1k to $5,700 or more a year
Lenders may be requiring high risk coverage or not lending on high-risk homes or business
How We Can Help ❖ Balances new regulations with client project objectives ❖ Ensures compliance with updated codes and requirements ❖ Assists with final Fire Master Plan approvals ❖ Critical for the site planning of development projects ❖ Fire Behavior Modeling and Recommended Mitigation Measures
❖ In-house planning = timely feedback & accurate data ❖ Expand our client / customer service deliverable’s ❖ Works closely with land planners, engineers, architects, and landscape architects. ❖ Keep up w/ future HOA & CC&Rs disclosures and fire code
Experience is a crucial factor in disaster prevention and response. That’s why we are here!
27051 Towne Centre #270 Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 PFS Office: 949.900.6217 Cell: 831.212.2486 (Bruce Clark) Cell: 949.236.0987 (Shane Sherwood)
info@ProactiveFireSolutions.net www.ProactiveFireSolutions.net
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