Daggett County hears wildfire update and House Bill 48 briefing; work group recommended

Corey Auger, county fire warden with Forestry Fire and State Lands, briefed the Daggett County Commission on recent local incidents, statewide fire risk and legislative changes affecting wildfire cost-sharing and homeowner assessments.

Auger said recent local fires included a human-caused campfire near Deer Creek/Lodge that produced heavy smoke but only a tenth of an acre burned, and a UTV-caused fire in Marshall Draw of roughly two acres that briefly caused dispatch confusion across county lines. He noted most nonforest lands in the basin are in Stage 1 fire restrictions and that the state has staged additional aviation and task-force resources into the Uinta Basin.

Auger outlined changes tied to recently passed House Bill 48 and recommended the county set up a work group to prepare. He said the law will require assessments of homes in the wildland-urban interface beginning in 2026, with assessment scores determining fees that will appear on property tax bills; implementation details — mapping, fee amounts and who performs assessments — remain to be decided and will be a collaboration among forestry/fire and county or fire-district staff.

"In 2026, January 1, residents in the wildland urban interface can request a lot assessment...they're given a score depending on what that score is, depends on what the fee is," Auger said, recommending an informational work group for commissioners. He also advised that the county remains ultimately responsible for certain agreements and cost-share liabilities even when operational duties are delegated to fire districts.

Commissioners agreed staff should coordinate a meeting to review the bill and implementation steps.