Kane County adopts fire warden agreements as state moves to 2024 WUI code

County Fire Warden Alexander Larsen told the Kane County Commission on May 12 that Utah will adopt the 2024 edition of the International Wildland Urban Interface Code to replace the 2006 edition, and that local enforcement is not required until Jan. 1, 2027. The commission moved to adopt and sign intergovernmental agreements tied to wildfire response.

The agreements presented included a County Fire Warden Agreement and a Cooperative Wildfire Suppression (CWS) agreement. Danon Hulet, FFSL Southwest Area Manager, described the CWS arrangement as “a fire policy/insurance policy to where the state will cover wildfire costs and in return the county participates in mitigation, prevention, and education,” and referenced participation levels around $149,000.

Why it matters: adoption of the newer WUI code changes building and mitigation expectations in high-risk areas and creates a multi-year implementation window for counties. The signed agreements formalize how the county and state coordinate suppression costs and staffing for wardens and seasonal firefighters. The warden agreement’s budget is calculated off 2022 costs with an estimated annual Consumer Price Index increase of about 3 percent.

At the meeting the commission voted to adopt and sign the documents; Commissioner Celeste Meyeres moved to approve the agreements and the motion carried with Chair Gwen Brown, Commissioner Patty Kubeja (online), and Commissioner Meyeres voting in favor.

Next steps: the county will continue implementation planning through staff and the county fire warden’s office before state enforcement begins in 2027.