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Commission reviews preliminary WUI high-risk boundary under Utah’s HB 48
Summary
Iron County staff presented a preliminary High-Risk Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) boundary map prepared under Utah HB 48 (2025); the map uses a Structure Exposure Score (SES) system and could lead to building-code updates and an annual assessment for properties inside the boundary.
County GIS Coordinator Bailey Banks presented a preliminary High-Risk WUI Boundary map required by Utah HB 48 (passed March 2025) and explained the methodology and local adjustments being considered.
Banks said the map identifies structures with higher wildfire exposure using multiple factors and a Structure Exposure Score (SES). She explained that the SES threshold under discussion was "5 and greater" for inclusion in the local high-risk boundary and that, if adopted, properties in that boundary could be subject to an annual assessment and would likely trigger local building-code revisions to encourage defensible space and home hardening.
County staff (Emergency Management, GIS and legal) and state representatives discussed differences between the state's map and the proposed local boundary, how to reconcile structure exposure with ember travel and vegetation proximity, and implementation steps. Banks stressed that the map shown is preliminary and that adoption would require follow-up steps including potential building-code amendments.
Commissioners asked technical and policy questions about the mapping criteria and cost implications. No formal adoption occurred at the meeting; the item was presented for discussion and refinement.
