Springfield, OR Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

The HD Overlay District, established under Springfield Development Code § 3.3.505, applies in residential zoning districts above 670 feet in elevation, or below 670 feet where any part of a development area exceeds 15 percent slope, per § 3.3.510. Development inside the district goes through Type 2 review, filed together with the Site Plan Review, Property Line Adjustment, or Partition/Subdivision Tentative Plan application, under § 3.3.515. Section 3.3.540 layers wildfire-specific fire protection duties on top: the Fire Marshal decides which hillside parcels count as vegetated areas subject to wildfires, and once a parcel is so designated, three duties attach.

First, any building over 1,500 square feet must sit within 50 feet of an approved fire lane or public street, with fire apparatus access provided to within 50 feet of the building; the city may require the developer to widen, regrade, or resurface the driveway to meet fire lane standards. Second, the developer must record, in the subdivision's Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, a requirement that each lot obtain a Fire Marshal-approved wildfire defense plan before the city issues a building permit. Third, any building in or next to fire-prone vegetation must carry Class A or B roofing under the Oregon State Structural Specialty Code.

Springfield Development and Public Works administers the HD Overlay District review, and the Springfield Fire Marshal, part of the shared Eugene Springfield Fire department, makes the wildfire-vegetation determination and approves the required defense plan. Unlike a citywide wildfire ordinance, this section only reaches hillside development that already triggers HD Overlay District review, so flatland Springfield properties fall outside § 3.3.540 entirely.