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APPENDIX E

FINDINGS OF FACT

This appendix is for information purposes and is not intended for adoption.

Originally, most fire and building codes were written and tures from these means (i.e., of temperature, wind velocity,
adopted at the local government level. As a result, there were precipitation and other weather elements).
many differences in code provisions from community to GEOGRAPHY. “A science that deals with the earth and its
community. Local problems often resulted in unique code life, especially the description of land, sea, air, and the distri-
provisions that were appropriate to the local situation, but not
bution of plant and animal life including man and his indus-
of much use in other communities.
tries with reference to the mutual relations of these diverse
With the development of uniform and model codes and elements.” Webster's Third New International Dictionary of
their subsequent adoption by state governments, the common the English Language, Unabridged.
features were applied everywhere. Once the basic provisions INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE (ISO). An agency that
were codified into a format and structure that had appeal to recommends fire insurance rates based on a grading schedule
both code officials and the builder-development community, that incorporates evaluation of fire fighting resources and
their code became “minimum standards.” The model codes capabilities.
were just that—a document that set the minimum criteria that
most communities could find acceptable, but not intended to TOPOGRAPHY. The configuration of landmass surface,
solve every problem everywhere. The developers of model including its relief (elevation) and the position of its natural
codes left one option to be used: those exceptional situations and man-made features that affect the ability to cross or tran-
that require local modifications based on a specific problem sit a terrain.
could use a specific process to increase the level of a particu- CLIMATIC CONSIDERATIONS
lar requirement.
There are two types of climates: macro and micro. A
The solution that was commonly made available in the macro climate affects an entire region and gives the area a
model adoption process was the development of written general environmental context. A micro climate is a specific
“findings of fact” that justified modifications by local code variation that could be related to the other two factors, topog-
officials. Many state codes identify a specific adoption pro- raphy and geography. A micro climate may cover a relatively
cess. This provision requires that a certain amount of research small area or be able to encompass an entire community, as
and analysis be conducted to support a written finding that is opposed to another community in the same county.
both credible and professional. In the context of adopting a
supplemental document such as the wildland-urban interface Climatic consideration should be given to the extremes,
provision, the writing of these findings is essential in creating means and anomalies of the following weather elements:
the maps and overlap needed to use their specific options. 1. Temperatures.
The purpose of this appendix is to provide an overview of 2. Relative humidities.
how local code officials could approach this process. There 3. Precipitation and flooding conditions.
are three essential phenomena cited in some model adoption 4. Wind speed and duration of periods of high velocity.
statutes that vary from community to community: climate, 5. Wind direction.
topography and geography. Although it can be agreed that
there are other findings that could draw distinction in local 6. Fog and other atmospheric conditions.
effects, these three features are also consistent with standard What is essential in creating an wildland-urban overlay are
code text that offers opportunity to be more restrictive than the data that suggest the existence of critical fire weather in
local codes. the jurisdiction.
One point that needs to be reinforced is that the process TOPOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS
demands a high level of professionalism to protect the code Topographic considerations should be given to the pres-
official’s credibility in adopting more restrictive require- ence of the following topographical elements:
ments. A superficial effort in preparing the findings of fact
could jeopardize the proposed or adopted code restriction. A 1. Elevation and ranges of elevation.
code official should devote a sufficient amount of time to 2. Location of ridges, drainages and escarpments.
draft the findings of fact to ensure that the facts are accurate, 3. Percent of grade (slope).
comprehensive and verifiable.
4. Location of roads, bridges and railroads.
DEFINITIONS 5. Other topographical features, such as aspect exposure.
CLIMATE. The average course or condition of the weather This information becomes an important part of creating an
at a particular place over a period of many years, as exhibited analysis of wildland-urban areas because topography and
in absolute extremes, means and frequencies of given depar- slope are key elements (along with fuel type) that create the

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