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Los Alamos Council adopts wildland-urban interface code to strengthen wildfire resilience
Summary
The County Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 02-368 on May 6, 2025, incorporating chapters 2, 5 and 6 of the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code into the county building and fire codes; the ordinance applies to new construction and major improvements and is not retroactive.
The Los Alamos County Council on May 6 adopted Ordinance 02-368, updating the county building and fire codes to incorporate wildfire-specific provisions drawn from the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface (IWUIC) Code. The motion passed 7-0.
County staff and fire officials told the council the changes are intended to reduce fire risk by requiring fire-resistant construction materials and site mitigation measures when work requires a building permit. Juan (staff presenter) summarized the ordinance as one that “outlines very specific wildfire related changes to 2 sections of our municipal code” and said the measure is modeled on the 2021 IWUIC because it is an industry standard and can help when insurance companies do assessments.
The ordinance amends chapter 10 (building regulations) and chapter 22 (fire prevention and protection) to include key IWUIC chapters. County staff emphasized the regulation is not retroactive and will apply when a major improvement or building permit is sought. Dan Osborne, a county projects manager, told council the code “creates regulatory clarity for our building department, our plans reviewers, and our inspectors in the field,” and that contractors are already familiar with industry best practices such as class-A exterior assemblies.
Discussion: Councilors asked about effects on specific projects, insurance and compliance costs. Staff said adoption is expected to help with insurance assessments by demonstrating the county’s higher building standards. Staff also reported Los Alamos County entered Stage 1 fire restrictions on May 4 and held a virtual town hall on the draft ordinance with about eight online participants and roughly 15–20 questions.
Technical clarifications included: the ordinance will not be applied retroactively to existing homes unless work triggers a building permit; sprinkler requirements apply to taller structures (the code references three stories above the truck-access elevation and industry thresholds such as 50 feet where applicable); and acceptable exterior materials must meet specified fire-rating standards (for example, class A roofing and fire-rated siding or composite decking where required).
Action: Councilor Reedy moved adoption; Councilor Herman seconded. The clerk recorded a unanimous vote and staff was asked to publish the ordinance in summary form as provided by the county charter.
Next steps: Staff will publish the ordinance summary, continue public outreach (home-assessment and mitigation programs were highlighted), and provide implementation guidance to contractors and homeowners.
