Centennial staff recommends adopting Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code; council gives direction to proceed

City planning staff recommended that the Centennial City Council adopt the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code and use the state map for the city, saying the measure would establish consistent, statewide minimum standards for structure hardening in mapped wildfire-urban-interface areas.

Michael Gradis, Centennial’s planning manager, told council the code stems from a 2023 state law that created a Wildfire Resiliency Code Board and directed communities to consider a statewide standard. Gradis said the presentation focused on the building-code aspects of wildfire resiliency — not fire response, evacuation planning or insurance — and that the code applies only within areas mapped by the state as WUI (wildland-urban interface).

Chief building official Joseph Montoya reviewed technical elements the model code addresses, including ember-resistant attic and crawl-space vents, tempered or multi-pane glazing for windows, Class A roof coverings, and more ignition-resistant siding and decking. Montoya said…