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Fountain council adopts wildfire resiliency code items required by state law; council to refine local map
Summary
Council approved first reading of the statewide Wildfire Resiliency Code and adopted an updated 2021 fire code on second reading. Staff warned the WRC can require material or siding changes when remodels exceed thresholds and said the city will develop a local map to refine which properties are in the wildland‑urban interface.
Chief Graham and fire staff asked the council to adopt the state’s Wildfire Resiliency Code (WRC) and to update the city’s locally adopted fire code. The WRC is required under Senate Bill 23‑166 and applies to structures in the wildland‑urban interface (WUI), including material and defensible‑space requirements for new construction and some remodels.
Chief Graham said the state provides a map and classification levels (low, moderate, high) that drive requirements. "This 1, however, could potentially and likely will have implications to our residential structures within the city limits," he said, warning the code may require a full roof replacement or re‑siding if more than 25% of the exterior is replaced.
Council members and residents asked whether the state action overrides home‑rule authority and about insurance and inspection burdens. Staff said the statute allows local jurisdictions to adopt their own, more restrictive code and to develop a local map, but the state timeline requires adoption of at least the state map by April 1 with an enforcement date of July 1. Staff described work to develop a locally tailored fire intensity classification map and said the fire prevention division would take on added permit‑review workload.
Council also completed second reading on an update to adopt the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code, which the chief said has minimal local impact compared with the WRC.
Council moved to approve Ordinance 18‑20 on first reading for the WRC (with the stated plan to return with a local map and any tailored code amendments) and approved Ordinance 18‑19 on second reading to adopt the 2021 International Fire Code. The first reading motion for the WRC passed 7–0 and the 2021 fire code passed second reading (5 yes, 1 no recorded).
