Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire Preparedness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Draper officials cite new WUI map and warn residents in high‑risk zones ahead of fire season
Summary
Mayor Troy Walker and Draper fire officials urged residents to check the state WUI map created under HB 48 (2025), comply with local fireworks bans in high‑risk zones and sign up for free property assessments and chipping services to reduce wildfire risk.
Draper Mayor Troy Walker and fire officials used a June 12 episode of the city’s podcast to urge residents to prepare for a dry fire season after the state published a Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) map under House Bill 48 (2025).
Mayor Troy Walker said the city is two weeks from fireworks sales and warned that fireworks frequently start wildland fires, adding, “If I could ban fireworks, I would.” He advised residents in hillside and SunCrest neighborhoods to watch city maps for the designated ban areas and to attend the city’s public fireworks display instead of lighting private devices.
Chief Smith, Draper’s fire chief, explained HB 48 created a statewide WUI definition and directed the state to publish a risk map scored on a 1–8 scale, with 8 indicating the highest risk. He said the map is intended to help residents and insurers identify where mitigation is most needed and to provide a pathway for homeowners to reduce risk and maintain insurability.
“We now have a published map that lets you put your home address in and see your risk,” Chief Smith said, urging residents to consult the Utah Wildland risk assessment tool online. He described several small local pockets rated at the highest risk — near the Widowmaker/Flight Park base, at the top/backside of SunCrest, and a developing area on the SunCrest back‑side — and said the city has adopted a local WUI boundary by ordinance.
Parker, the Wildland Fuels Crew Supervisor for Draper City Fire Department, described the free lot‑assessment process. He asked residents to contact the fire department so staff can collect information and schedule an on‑site assessment. “We’ll go out on foot, provide an assessment, and give you steps to reduce those hazards,” Parker said, adding the department can arrange limited chipping for green waste generated by homeowner mitigation.
Officials outlined the local fireworks‑restriction area roughly as east of 13th East, south of 138th South, west of I‑15 and north of 118th. Mayor Walker warned that lighting fireworks in the ban zone will be enforced “to the fullest extent” with maximum fines if violators are caught.
The city encouraged residents to follow National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidance on defensible space, subscribe to Draper notifications, and participate in planned chipper days. Mayor Walker also noted that the city budget includes three new firefighter positions to bolster staffing.
For assessments and more information, officials directed listeners to Draper City Fire Department resources and the city’s notification sign‑up at draperutah.gov/notify.
