County wildfire collaborative outlines WUI code options; council hears tradeoffs on cost, insurance and enforceability

Representatives from the Eagle County Wildfire Collaborative, the county mitigation office and the fire district briefed the council on countywide work to prepare for the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board's model and options for local adoption.

Eric Lovegren, the county's community mitigation manager, said the state code was issued last July and that local jurisdictions must adopt an equally protective code (or the state model) on a timeline with adoption expected by March 2026 and implementation by July 2026. "By statute, the state of Colorado formed the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board," he said, describing that board's role in issuing a statewide standard. The county working group is evaluating a model code (the 7A approach) that emphasizes performance‑based options and local practicality rather than the state's hazard‑mapping and more prescriptive tiered approach.

The fire chief cautioned that insurance market dynamics already are affecting homeowners and warned of nonrenewals. "State Farm, Allstate, all these things, they're running. They're running scared, and they're leaving the state," he said, describing difficulty some homeowners face obtaining insurance renewals. Council members raised affordability concerns about new code requirements; county officials said the proposed code applies only to new construction and certain additions (not broad retroactive requirements), though retrofits can become expensive.

Officials encouraged continued local collaboration on mapping, enforcement language and local modifications to reduce administrative burdens while meeting the state's equal‑protection standard.