Altadena rebuilding should meet tougher building codes, institute argues

An insurance-backed research group has called for an expansion of fire hazard zones in Altadena to ensure that rebuilding throughout the community complies with more stringent fire-safety building codes.

Construction in “very-high” fire hazard zones must comply with California’s wildfire building code, which mandates use of fire-resistant materials like Class-A roofing and heat- and ember-resistant windows, doors and vents. But recently released state fire maps only include a fraction of the area burnt in the Eaton fire last January.