Fire Clearance - Pauma Valley Roadway Association

For many years PVRA has cooperated with Cal Fire in working with our home and lot owners to maintain required clearances for emergency vehicles.  State law regarding Fire Apparatus Access on our roads is quoted below:

Definition per current Fire Code:
FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROAD. A road that provides fire apparatus access from a fire station to a facility, building or portion thereof. This is a general term that includes, but is not limited to a fire lane, public street, private street, driveway, parking lot lane and access roadway.
Sec. 503.1 General. Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided and maintained in accordance with Sections 503.1.1 through 503.1.3. Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided and maintained in compliance with this section and the most recent edition and any amendments thereto, of public and private road standards as adopted by the County of San Diego (San Diego County Standards for Private Roads and Public Roads, San Diego County Department of Public Works). The fire code official may modify the requirements of this section if the modification provides equivalent access. Sec. 503.1.1
Sec. 503.2 Specifications. Fire apparatus access roads shall be installed and arranged in compliance with Sections 503.2.1 through 503.2.9.
Sec. 503.2.1 Dimensions. The dimensions of fire apparatus access roads shall be in accordance with the following: (a) Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed improved width of not less than 24 feet, except as provided in Section 503.2.1.1for single-family residential driveways serving no more than two residential parcels, which shall have a minimum of 16 feet of unobstructed improved width. Any of the following, which have separated lanes of one-way traffic: gated entrances with card readers, guard stations or center medians, are allowed, provided that each lane is not less than 14 feet wide. (b) Fire apparatus access roads that are public or private roads which are provided or improved as a result of a Tentative Map, Tentative Parcel Map or a Major/Minor Use Permit shall have the dimensions as set forth by the County of San Diego Standards for Public and Private Roads. (c) All fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet, 6 inches. (d) Vertical clearances or road widths shall be increased when the fire code official determines that vertical clearances or road widths are not adequate to provide fire apparatus access. 2020 Consolidated Fire Code for the 13 Fire Protection Districts in San Diego County Page 33 of 80 (e) Vertical clearances or road width may be reduced when the fire code official determines the reduction does not impair access by fire apparatus. In cases where the vertical clearance has been reduced, approved signs shall be installed and maintained indicating the amount of vertical clearance. (f) Driveways exceeding 150 feet in length, but less than 600 feet in length, shall provide a turnout near the midpoint of the driveway. Where the driveway exceeds 600 feet, turnouts shall be provided no more than 400 feet apart.

San Diego County Standards for Private Roadways
"Where offers of dedication are not to be accepted, the roads shall be designed and
constructed in conformance with the following minimum standards:"
"Minimum Vertical Clearance 14.5''