Draft state WUI map places dozens of Broomfield parcels in wildfire zones; council presses staff for local review and outreach

City staff updated council on the state’s Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) model code and a draft state map that would subject parts of Broomfield to new construction requirements including ignition‑resistant materials, defensible space and emergency access standards.

Kate Boles, the city’s landscape architect, said the WUI model code’s stated purpose is “to establish minimum regulations for the safeguarding of life and for property protection” and described the map framework as focused on vegetation, topography and typical weather conditions to estimate potential fire intensity. She said the board’s most recent draft reduced the area within Broomfield but listed specific neighborhoods and parcels that may be affected, including Great Western Park; The Ridge at Broomfield; Interlochen; Broomfield Business Center; Sunridge 2; Ridgeview Heights; Whistlepig; Wildgrass; Wilcox Estates; Spruce Meadows; and Anthem filing 24.

If a parcel is mapped into the WUI draft, new construction and certain permits would be subject to hardening requirements that vary by zone. The draft requirements cited by staff include: Class A roofing and ember‑resistant vents; ignition‑resistant or noncombustible exterior materials; noncombustible gutters; and, in the more restrictive orange zone, one‑hour fire‑rated exterior walls, noncombustible soffits and deck surfaces, 20‑minute fire‑rated exterior doors and special measures to seal gaps around garage doors.

The draft ties specific construction and maintenance obligations to three defensible space bands from the structure: Zone 1 (0–5 feet) calls for cleared, noncombustible ground and no new trees or wood fencing within the zone; Zone 2 (5–30 feet) calls for spacing plants and removing lower branches; Zone 3 (30–100+ feet) focuses on reducing ladder fuels and creating breaks between clumps of trees. The code is not retroactive for existing approved conditions, but substantial additions (an increase in footprint greater than 500 square feet) or replacements that affect 25% or more of roof or exterior wall surface would trigger new‑construction requirements on the entire roof or exterior wall area.

Councilors raised sharp concerns about how the map was created and whether properties were accurately categorized. Council member Lim and others pressed staff on whether the state provided local stakeholder engagement and how the mapping methodology was developed. Staff said the state board approved the draft map and that the board’s materials describe the map as estimating how intensely a fire could burn (not the probability of ignition) based on topography, vegetation and historical weather patterns. But staff acknowledged local questions and said Broomfield would pursue ‘ground‑truthing’ field inspections, starting with the Wilcox neighborhood, and would explore whether a third‑party technical review could support map adjustments.

City staff said they will post an information page on Broomfield Voice once the final WUI model code is published by the state. The state board has scheduled a public hearing and the state is required to publish the approved code by July 1; jurisdictions must adopt within nine months after publication and provide for local implementation within three months after adoption. Staff said they expected to return with a proposed ordinance tied to the 2024 code package for first reading in January 2026 and second reading in February 2026, with concurrent implementation on April 15, 2026.

Council members and staff asked for timely and targeted outreach: more detailed explanations for affected neighborhoods; a plan for boots‑on‑the‑ground verification of mapped parcels; clarification on how the map might affect insurance or construction costs; and a town‑hall‑style outreach event once the final state materials and adoption rules are available.