Medford City Council voted unanimously Thursday in favor of following new state building codes designed to make houses in wildfire hazard zones more fire-resistant.
The codes will make houses more flame- and ember-resistant to help avoid the kind of disaster that destroyed the city of Paradise, California, last year.
The new regulations, part of new state building codes, will require greater use of noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials in wildfire hazard areas of the city, which are mainly on the flanks of Roxy Ann Peak.
Some local builders say new homes already are built to a higher standard, and believe the new codes will add burdensome regulations on new construction, but Medford-Fire Rescue officials posted a message on its Facebook page applauding the move.