REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 5, 2026
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Fire Code Ordinances from the City of Colton Fire Department, Big Bear Fire Authority, and City of Redlands Fire Department
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Ratify City of Colton’s Ordinance No. O-12-25, which includes the adoption of the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code with errata, and the 2024 International Fire Code, as well as local amendments, collectively to be known as the Fire Code of the City of Colton Fire Department.
2. Ratify Big Bear Fire Authority’s Ordinance No. BBFA2025-001, which includes the adoption and amendment of the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code with errata, and the 2025 Edition of the Wildland-Urban Interface Code, and the 2025 Edition of the California Residential Code, as well as local amendments, collectively to be known as the Fire Code of the Big Bear Fire Authority.
3. Ratify City of Redlands Fire Department’s Ordinance No. 2997, which includes the adoption of the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code, and Ordinance No. 2998, which includes the adoption of the Wildland-Urban Interface Code with errata, as well as local amendments, collectively to be known as the Fire Code of the City of Redlands Fire Department.
4. Delegate enforcement of the ordinances identified in Recommendation Nos. 1 through 3, to the chief of the fire protection district that adopted the ordinance, or the fire chief’s authorized representative, pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13869.7(h)(1)(A).
5. Direct the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District to take the following actions within 15 days pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13869.7(c):
a. Transmit a copy of this item to each of the fire protection districts identified in Recommendation Nos. 1 through 3.
b. File a copy of this item and ordinances identified in Recommendation Nos. 1 through 3, with the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended actions will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as there is no financial impact associated with the ratification of these fire ordinances.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On December 16, 2025, the City Council of the City of Colton (Colton) adopted Ordinance No. O-12-25. This ordinance adopts by reference “the 2025 California Fire Code, incorporating the ‘International Fire Code’ 2024 Edition, including all appendices thereto; the 2025 California
Wildland-Urban Interface Code ….”.
On December 9, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Big Bear Fire Authority (Big Bear) adopted Ordinance No. BBFA2025-001. This ordinance adopts by reference “the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code, 2025 Edition Wildland-Urban Interface Code, and the 2025 Edition of the California Residential Code …”.
On December 16, 2025, the City Council of the City of Redlands Fire Department (Redlands) adopted Ordinance Nos. 2997 and 2998. These ordinances adopt by reference “the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code which incorporates by reference the 2024 International Fire Code, and the 2025 Edition of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code which incorporates by reference the 2024 Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Code …”.
Approval of this item will ratify Colton’s Ordinance No. O-12-25, Big Bear’s Ordinance No. BBFA2025-001, and Redlands’ Ordinance No. 2297 and 2998 pursuant to Section 50020 of the California Government Code and Section 13869.7 of the California Health and Safety Code. Under these codes, a self-governed fire protection district shall submit its adopted and approved local fire code ordinance, including its amendments to the California Fire Code and International Fire Code, to the county in which it will apply for ratification by the Board of Supervisors. San Bernardino County (County) may ratify, modify, or deny the ordinance. If ratified, the County is required to file a copy of the findings of the fire protection district, and any findings of the County, together with the adopted ordinance with the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
The County’s Land Use Services Department and the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District have reviewed the above-described ordinances and have no comments or concerns.
Each ordinance will only apply to the unincorporated region of the County that falls within that governing fire protection district. Enforcement of the ordinances identified in Recommendation Nos. 1 through 3 will be by the chief of the fire protection district that adopted the ordinance, or the fire chief’s authorized representative, pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13869.7(h)(1)(A).
Health and Safety Code section 13869.7(c) requires the transmittal of this item to each of the fire districts identified in Recommendation Nos. 1 through 3, as well as filing the item and ordinances with the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (Tom Strong, Assistant Fire Marshal, 386-8410) on April 6, 2026; County Counsel (Rick Luczak, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 3, 2026; Land Use Services (Miguel Figueroa, Director, 387-4431) on April 9, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Ivan Ramirez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on April 17, 2026.