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California Code of Regulations Title 24 California Fire Code The California Fire Code establishes minimum requirements consistent with nationally recognized good practices to safeguard the public health, safety, and general welfare from the hazards of fire, explosions, or dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings, structures, and premises and to provide safety and assistance to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. Chapter 5 of the fire code describes fire service features for buildings, structures, and premises that contain the requirements for access roads for fire department apparatus. These requirements include horizontal and vertical clearance requirements for roadside vegetation. Chapter 49 of the fire code provides minimum standards to reduce the likelihood of life and prop erty loss due to wildfire. It includes prescriptive requirements for the installation and maintenance of vegetation near buildings. Chapter 49 also includes the requirement that new developments or projects in the identified WUI area prepare a fire prevention plan, known as a Wildland Fire Management Plan to the LPFD, that describes the measures taken to minimize and mitigate the wildfire risk on the project property. Government Code Sections 51175 through 51189 of the government code define the areas of the state where a local agency is responsible for fire protection and where a very high fire hazard exists. These sections also define the responsibility of property owners to maintain the buildings and vegetation on their property within 100 feet of a structure in a condition that minimizes the risk of building ignition. Section 51182 provides specific criteria for maintaining vegetation within 100 feet of a building, including trees that overhang a building. These sections form the core regulations that define the vegetation management standards enforced by the fire department. Utility Clearance Requirements Public Utility Code General Order 95 General Order 95, Rule 37, Table 1 defines the above-ground clearances of conductors and the clearances between conductors and other structures/vegetation. These rules include the maintenance of trees near electrical equipment and special provisions for clearances in WUI or areas designated as high fire hazard severity zones. 13