County fire officials warn Daniel of looming fees, staffing needs as HB48 requires wildland-urban interface code adoption

County and local fire officials briefed the Daniel Town Council on House Bill 48 on Dec. 1, warning that the law’s implementation could impose new fees on many local homes and require additional local resources to respond.

Troy Morgan, county fire warden, said the legislation requires cities and towns to adopt a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code and to designate high-risk boundaries once the state releases a statewide high-risk map. "Part of this bill requires all cities and towns to adopt the wildland urban interface code," Morgan said, adding that the code combines building requirements and vegetation management to reduce wildfire risk.

Morgan and other county fire leaders, including Eric Hells (fire chief) and Clint Nearing (fire marshal), said the state map will use vegetation, topography, structure density and ember-storm modeling to identify high-risk structures; the designation will apply to taxable structures, not land. "The high risk map ... uses things like vegetation, topography, typical winds, structures, the density of structures," Morgan said. "If that structure is in a high risk area, you will be assessed a fee." Officials stressed the map and implementing rules had not been finalized as of the meeting.

Fire leaders described the fee framework the state has outlined: an initial flat fee for 2026 and 2027 (officials said early estimates range from about $20 to $100 annually) and a move to a per-square-foot assessment beginning in 2028. Owners can request a certified on-site assessment and follow a prescribed mitigation pathway to reduce a high fee to a lower tier. "If you follow the steps that are required in the bill to reduce the risk, then you can drop that high fee down to a moderate fee or even a low fee," Morgan said.

Councilmembers and residents raised practical concerns about enforcement, fairness and timing. A council member asked whether the fee would be based solely on aerial mapping; Nearing described a homeowner-requested "ground truthing" assessment and an appeals process: "If you feel like you're not in that high hazard area, you can request an assessment ... we'd come out, we'd do the assessment, and then there's an appeals process." Officials confirmed they would not unilaterally assess fees and that appeals would be required to change a designation.

Local officials also pressed who would enforce fire restrictions and how the fees would be collected. "We don't have any enforcement authority," Nearing said of local fire districts; he said law enforcement and agreements with the sheriff would be required to enforce public-safety restrictions such as shooting or fireworks bans.

The county fire district said it is preparing to assist residents and to absorb much of the workload. Morgan and his staff said they are considering adding a full-time position and scaling seasonal programs because they estimate between 5,000 and 8,000 structures countywide may request assessments once the map is published. "We're trying to ramp up our employment so that we can get out," Morgan said, "because the last thing we want to have happen is it comes 2026 and somebody gets on their tax bill a fee that they didn't know anything about." He noted local mitigation programs — such as chipping crews and possible hydrant planning — could help reduce assessed fees for homeowners who cannot complete required vegetation or structural work alone.

Officials urged the council to wait for the state’s high-risk map, which they said was expected in January 2026, before finalizing local ordinances or maps. "We want to work with the town once the map comes out and look and make a more educated decision," Morgan said. Several council members said they would push back if towns were asked to adopt maps with limited information.

The council asked for continued outreach and prompt notification once the map and implementing rules are available. Officials suggested local truthing, public education and coordination with Forestry, Fire and State Lands and the sheriff’s office to ensure consistent assessments and to reduce unintended consequences for homeowners and insurers.

What happens next: county fire officials said they will continue outreach to Daniel and other municipalities and that the town should plan education and a coordinated response when the state publishes the WUI map.