People who want to build homes in the Yuba County foothills may soon have to build to higher standards because of changes proposed by state fire officials.

Cal Fire, formerly know as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, is updating its statewide fire-hazard map. If approved, the update will require new guidelines for siding, decks, windows and other parts of new homes.

The update will more accurately reflect fire hazards across the state, officials said Friday during a lightly attended public meeting at the Yuba County Government Center in Marysville.

“This update is a good thing,” said Scott Witt, a technical mapping expert with Cal Fire.

Fire construction standards for homes were inconsistent from one place to another, making it harder for some developers to meet standards on some projects, Witt said.

“Every (Cal Fire) unit had their own reasons for their maps,” he said.

Cal Fire joined with the University of California, Berkeley, to use satellite imagery and modeling to come up with the redefined fire hazard map.

In the process, Cal Fire officials are holding public meetings in every county of the state to gather information to provide to higher officials, said Steve Garcia, a Cal Fire official.

In Yuba County, the “very high” fire hazard area - or red zone - covers most of the eastern foothills and mountains.

The map includes areas where Cal Fire is responsible for providing fire protection and does not include incorporated cities, most of the valley and some federal lands.

Roofing in red zones will need to be made of ceramic materials, asphalt or normal composition tiles. Shake or wooden shingles would not be allowed in red zones, said Witt.

But in Yuba County, all roofs in Cal Fire’s area of responsibility already must meet the highest fire hazard standards.

The changes residents will see occur below the roof, said Matt Furtado, a Cal Fire captain who does fire inspections for Yuba County.

For example, patios must be enclosed beneath the deck and made with fire-resistant materials. House siding must be made of concrete composition. There are different varieties of the siding on the market, Furtado said.

The siding can be painted to look like wood.

Doors must also meet new standards, and new homes must have double-paned, tempered glass.

The standards do not apply to existing homes, but homeowners planning remodeling projects on homes should check with the Yuba County Building Department for information. The number is 749-5470.

These new standards will not be implemented until the new map is approved by the Cal Fire director and reviewed by the Office of Administrative Law. That could occur by mid-December or early January.

To see the map and for more online information, visit www.fire.ca.gov/wildland.php or call 277-2322.

Appeal-Democrat reporter Daniel Witter can be reached at 749-4712. You may e-mail him at dwitter@appealdemocrat.com.