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Tooele City adopts Utah Wildland-Urban Interface building code ahead of 2026 state change
Summary
Following state House Bill 48, the council adopted Ordinance 2025-18 to implement the Utah Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building code and align local requirements with upcoming state wildfire-risk mapping and mitigation rules.
Tooele City Council on June 18 adopted an ordinance enacting Tooele City Code chapter 3‑8 and incorporating the Utah Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) building code, implementing elements of House Bill 48 ahead of the state effective date.
Nick Wall, Tooele City fire marshal, summarized House Bill 48 for the council and said the bill introduces a state-specific wildfire risk mapping tool and requires local adoption of WUI measures. “House Bill 48 ... introduces a state specific wildfire risk mapping tool to improve risk assessments and modify insurance industry practices and implement mitigation strategies,” Wall said, noting the state law is set to take effect in January 2026 and counties and cities are being asked to adopt corresponding codes.
Wall described the WUI code’s emphasis on property-level risk assessments, annual inspections of high-risk properties by counties, mitigation fees, and building-code changes to “harden” structures in higher-risk areas (roofing, eaves, exterior materials and defensible-space requirements). He said adopting the WUI code locally allows the city to bring over the state-specific code once it is finalized.
The council voted 4–0 to adopt Ordinance 2025-18. Staff said the action aims to help homeowners access insurance and to prepare neighborhoods for wildfire risk through clarified building standards and mitigation measures.
