El Paso County adopts outdoor-business rules and countywide 2021 fire code; ESDs urge interlocal approach

El Paso County on Monday adopted a new outdoor-business order targeting junkyards, salvage yards, automobile wreckage and similar operations in unincorporated areas and voted to adopt the 2021 International Fire Code as the countywide standard, court records and public comments show.

The measures, introduced by Commissioner Butler and presented by county staff policy advisor Chandler Mills, are intended to reduce the number of large fires tied to outdoor storage and operations in unincorporated parts of the county by requiring licensing, basic operational standards and a compliance timeline for existing businesses.

County staff and commissioners said the outdoor-business order will require outdoor businesses to obtain a $25 license, maintain fencing and safe storage of flammable liquids and other combustible materials, and keep records of incoming inventory. The order gives owners 365 days to comply and includes a 60-day remedy period for violations. Commissioners also directed staff to add an appeals process to the order, with final appeals returning to commissioners court.

The court separately adopted the 2021 International Fire Code, which county staff said provides a uniform fire-safety baseline already used by the city and by several Emergency Service Districts (ESDs). The court set an implementation timeline that anticipates phased hiring…