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Monroe council hears state pitch to join wildfire-suppression program, faces WUI boundary choice
Summary
Utah DFSL urged Monroe to enroll in the Cooperative Wildfire Suppression program so the city and its fire department can access reimbursement and MOUs; officials discussed adopting a Wildland-Urban Interface boundary based on the state's Structure Exposure Score and a two-year requirement to adopt the 2024 WUI code.
Thomas Peterson of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands told the Monroe City Council on May 12 that joining the state Cooperative Wildfire Suppression (CWS) program would help cover wildfire suppression costs for participating municipalities and is increasingly tied to fire-department reimbursements.
"The CWS program covers wildfire suppression costs on behalf of participating municipalities," Peterson said, outlining that without participation a city could be financially responsible for suppression if a fire originates inside its limits and spreads to other jurisdictions, with costs apportioned by acreage.
Peterson told the council Monroe’s annual participation commitment is $37 and can be satisfied through in‑kind work; City Recorder Allison Leavitt confirmed routine city activities (burning the debris basin dam and fire education for preschool/kindergarten) already meet that requirement. He also described legislative changes that updated the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building code to the 2024 edition and gave municipalities two years to adopt it.
The council discussed how to set a WUI boundary. Peterson said the state’s Structure Exposure Score (SES) map suggests designating areas with an SES of 5 or above as WUI. "The state's suggestion is that any area scored 5 or above be designated as within the WUI," he said, while noting the municipality retains authority to narrow the boundary and could pick a road for administrative clarity. Regional advisor Tyler Timmons encouraged Monroe to consider adopting only the highest-risk areas identified by the state rather than a broader boundary.
Peterson added a near-term operational point: fire departments with SES scores of 5 or above must have their municipality enrolled in CWS by June 1 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that enables reimbursement for responses to state, federal and BLM fires.
The council directed staff to place WUI map discussion on the Planning Commission agenda for further review so the city can develop a recommended boundary and ordinance language. No formal WUI ordinance or boundary was adopted at the meeting.
