Davis County leaders plan outreach, staffing review after state passes House Bill 48 on wildland-urban interface inspections

Davis County officials and staff on May 27 discussed implementation questions and local impacts from House Bill 48, new state legislation that requires wildfire-risk inspections for structures in state-designated high-hazard areas and allows counties to assess a fee based on each property's risk score.

The discussion, held during a Davis County Commission work session, focused on the law's timeline and the county's likely responsibilities. Amber Herrick, the county's emergency services manager with the sheriff's office, told commissioners the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will set statewide standards and run a central database. "Under the new law, they're required by 01/01/2026 to have come up with the fee schedule, the requirements for the people doing the inspections, and to create a database where all the inspections will be uploaded," Herrick said.

County officials said the state will produce a statewide hazard map (the Utah Wildfire Assessment Portal, or URAP) and that counties will be responsible for conducting or coordinating inspections for properties the map identifies as high hazard. Herrick said the state will provide a fee range; counties will assess the fee and collect it through property tax processes. She added that inspections can identify mitigation steps homeowners can take to lower their wildfire risk and, therefore, their assessed fee.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the law could affect tens of thousands of properties in Davis County and would create new recurring inspection and billing tasks for county government and local fire agencies. At the meeting, staff and commissioners raised concerns about manpower, timing and the accuracy of the state's hazard mapping, along with potential consequences for homeowners' insurance.

Key details from the session

- Timeline and statewide roles: Herrick described a state-led rollout. By Jan. 1, 2026, the state must finalize a fee schedule, inspector qualifications and a central database for inspection records. A revised hazard map is expected this fall, with a public-comment period after the final map is released.

- County responsibilities: The law assigns inspection responsibility to counties, but counties may work with city fire agencies or hire contractors to perform inspections. Commissioners discussed whether individual municipalities or the county should lead inspections inside city limits and noted existing agreements with local fire districts will need review.

- Scope: Herrick said every home located in areas the state designates as "high hazard" will be required to have an inspection. The county was given an estimate (by county fire staff) that roughly 70,000 homes in Davis County could fall under the requirement; commissioners described that number as an early estimate that underscores the scale of the task.

- Fees and taxes: The state will recommend a range for inspection fees; counties will set and assess the final fee, and the assessment will be billed through property taxes. Herrick said the intent is for fees to be risk-based and for mitigation work to lower a property's score (and therefore fee). Commissioners asked whether the fee is treated as a tax or a separate assessment and were told that will depend on legislative language and state guidance.

- Insurance and mitigation: Members discussed the law's stated purpose of reducing uninsured losses and encouraging homeowners to mitigate risk. Herrick said the law includes a protection that prevents insurers from cancelling coverage solely because a home is rated high-risk, unless a homeowner refuses to undertake mitigation recommended in the inspection. Commissioners noted homeowners may not understand wildfire coverage is often an optional rider.

- Mapping and accuracy concerns: Commissioners and staff showed the URAP map during the meeting and said many urban parcels and public parks appeared flagged. They raised concerns that parcel-level mapping currently appears to flag portions of parcels (for example, a field or park area but not adjacent structures) and urged the county to work with state staff and the public during the map's revision process.

- Operational concerns: County staff expressed worry that local fire districts may lack capacity to add inspection workloads without additional funding. Commissioners discussed options including (1) relying on fire districts if they accept responsibility and funding, (2) hiring private contractors who meet state qualifications, or (3) centralizing inspections through county staffing funded by the assessed fees.

- Outreach and public education: Commissioners and staff agreed on the need for a public-information campaign and coordination with state messaging. Herrick said the state plans unified presentations and messaging when the map and rollout details are ready. The county also plans to share local information, offer Firewise-style voluntary inspections now for residents seeking guidance, and encourage constituents to contact state legislators with feedback during the interim.

What county staff said next: Herrick said she is requesting the state's presentation slides and that county staff will hold periodic updates as more guidance arrives. Commissioners directed staff to explore GIS overlays to match URAP hazard maps to local parcel data and to review existing agreements with fire districts.

Context and unanswered questions

- The state agency leading the effort was identified in the meeting as Forestry, Fire and State Lands (the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands). The law was repeatedly referenced as "House Bill 48" during the session.

- The county does not yet have final answers about the fee amount, inspection frequency, whether insurers will use the state scores to set premiums, or the exact legal mechanism for collecting ongoing assessments; staff said some of those questions depend on the state's final rules and fee schedule.

- County staff currently offers a free Firewise-type risk assessment through the county fire warden; that program will remain available and could be used to advise homeowners while the state establishes formal inspection standards.

Ending note: Commissioners said they view the coming months as an important period for local preparation and public education. They plan to press for more detailed state guidance, explore GIS and operational options within the county, and coordinate outreach once the state's map and fee schedule are published.