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Edition, the California Existing Building Code, 2019 Edition, the California Plumbing Code, <br />2019 Edition, the California Mechanical Code, 2019 Edition, the California Electrical Code, <br />2019 Edition, the California Existing Building Code, 2019 Edition, California Energy <br />Code, 2019 Edition, and the California Fire Code, 2019 Edition, are reasonably necessary <br />due to local conditions in the City of Santa Ana. <br />Section 3. Amendments to the 2019 Edition of the California Building Code, the <br />2019 Edition of the California Existing Building Code, the 2019 Edition of the California <br />Residential Code, and the 2019 Edition of the California Fire Code as recommended by <br />the Planning and Building Agency and the Orange County Fire Authority are hereby <br />found to be reasonably necessary based upon the following findings: <br />I. Climatic Conditions <br />A. The jurisdiction of Santa Ana is located in a semi -arid Mediterranean <br />type climate. It annually experiences extended periods of high <br />temperatures with little or no precipitation. Hot, dry (Santa Ana) winds, <br />which may reach speeds of 70 M.P.H. or greater, are also common to <br />the area. These climatic conditions cause extreme drying of <br />vegetation and common building materials. Frequent periods of <br />drought and low humidity add to the fire danger. This predisposes the <br />area to large destructive fires (conflagration). In addition to directly <br />damaging or destroying buildings, these fires are also prone to disrupt <br />utility services throughout the County. Obstacles generated by a <br />strong wind, such as fallen trees, street lights and utility poles will <br />greatly impact the response time to reach an incident scene. <br />B. The climate alternates between extended periods of drought and brief <br />flooding conditions. Flood conditions may affect the Orange County <br />Fire Authority's ability to respond to a fire or emergency condition. <br />Floods also disrupt utility services to buildings and facilities within the <br />County. <br />C. Water demand in this densely populated area far exceeds the quantity <br />supplied by natural precipitation; and although the population <br />continues to grow, the already -taxed water supply does not. California <br />is projected to increase in population by nearly 10 million over the next <br />quarter of a century with 50 percent of that growth centered in <br />Southern California. Due to storage capacities and consumption, and <br />a limited amount of rainfall future water allocation is not fully <br />dependable. This necessitates the need for additional and on -site fire <br />protection features. <br />D. These dry climatic conditions and winds contribute to the rapid spread <br />of even small fires originating in high -density housing or vegetation. <br />These fires spread very quickly and create a need for increased levels <br />Resolution No. 2019-116 <br />Page 2 of 8 <br />