Lake County adopts Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, sets July 1 enforcement date

Lake County commissioners voted March 30 to adopt Resolution 2026-10, bringing the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code and the state wildfire hazard map into force for unincorporated Lake County.

County staff said the state-mandated adoption must be completed by April 1, with local enforcement scheduled to begin July 1. A county staff member told the board the code applies to new construction and certain alterations (for example, roof replacements that exceed 25% of roof area and alterations over 500 square feet) and supplements existing building and fire codes. “The recommendation from the advisory committee is to adopt the Colorado resiliency code,” staff said during the hearing.

Barbara Rice, the county’s fire-code expert, reviewed the code’s main requirements, saying it emphasizes structure hardening and defensible space. She described two construction classifications: class one for lower-hazard zones, which requires class A roofing and non-combustible gutters; and class two for moderate and high zones, which adds ignition-resistant exterior walls, protected eaves and tempered or multi-pane windows. “Class two ignition resistant construction… is in the moderate and high hazard zones, which are… the largest part of Lake County,” Rice said.

Fire Chief Dan Daley described the state mapping produced by the Division of Fire Prevention and Control and the State Forest Service under the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board. He told commissioners that most private parcels in Lake County fall into moderate or high hazard categories and that some historic city areas remain undesignated. The panel noted jurisdictions may request local map amendments or property owners may pursue site-specific "ground-truthing." Staff clarified a ground-truthing request covers a property and a 300-foot area around it.

Staff said administration will be coordinated across building, planning and fire departments. Permit-review checklists, staff training and a public-facing webpage with resources are planned between adoption and the July 1 enforcement date. County staff emphasized outreach to contractors and homeowners to reduce unintended impacts from the new requirements.

The board adopted Resolution 2026-10 by voice vote after closing the evidentiary and discussion phases of the hearing. The adoption was presented as required by statute and intended to match or exceed the state model; the board retained the ability to adopt local amendments or to pursue more stringent measures later if warranted.