The Boulder City Council on Dec. 12 directed city officials to explore developing new rules requiring homeowners to make their existing homes more wildfire-resilient. This expands on the council’s earlier focus, which was limited to future construction projects.
The directive underscores the mounting urgency to respond to Boulder’s growing wildfire risk and year-round fire season, driven by climate change. Many residents are already grappling with rising insurance premiums or losing coverage altogether due to the city’s high wildfire risk.
“This is simply a situation that cannot be ignored, and the risk increases in lockstep with climate change,” Councilmember Mark Wallach said during last week’s meeting.
Several councilmembers referenced the Marshall Fire, which ignited nearly three years ago on the southeastern edge of the city limits. The fire burned eastward, destroying more than a thousand homes in what became the most destructive wildfire in state history. Its rapid spread, like most wildfires near urban areas, was driven by home-to-home ignition fueled by hot embers traveling across wooden fences and flammable vegetation. In the wake of the fire, city fire officials began warning that it’s not a question of if but when a wildland fire will strike within city borders.
At the request of councilmembers earlier this year, city officials have been working to update Boulder’s building and land use codes to reduce the risk of wildfires spreading through neighborhoods. A recent proposal focuses on new construction, additions and remodels in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) — a zone along the western edge of the city where a flammable landscape meets houses. Proposed measures include removing highly combustible vegetation, like junipers, and prohibiting flammable materials, including wooden fences.
Councilmembers on Dec. 12, however, urged city staff to go further, proposing an expansion of the WUI to include more of Boulder. This would ensure more homes — potentially even all homes — are required to implement wildfire home-hardening measures.
“I think that those might make sense not just in the WUI but potentially throughout Boulder,” Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Folkerts said during last week’s meeting, referring to wildfire hardening measures. “My understanding is that, in general, our community is at a fairly heightened risk of fire. And I would be interested in seeing what the tradeoffs are around an expanded map or just having a ubiquitous standard.”
For the first time, councilmembers also called for applying some wildfire hardening rules to existing properties, not just those undergoing renovations or new construction. They proposed requiring compliance when selling a home or obtaining a rental license, which could include mandates for property owners to clear brush, trim trees and establish non-combustible zones — called defensible space — around their homes.
“We need to be bold like we were with shake shingles,” Councilmember Matt Benjamin said. He added, “I think we need to think of a phased approach to bring homes and bring properties into compliance regardless of any new construction. That’s going to address the health and safety issue we have now.”
City Attorney Teresa Tate said that retroactively expanding the rules to existing properties could be “potentially fraught” from a legal perspective. City officials also emphasized that implementing such broad measures would require additional city resources for education and enforcement.
While Mayor Aaron Brockett supported exploring stricter regulations, he cautioned against moving too quickly with retroactive rules, in part due to the financial burden they could place on homeowners on fixed incomes.
Most councilmembers, however, acknowledge the high costs of destructive wildfires and the ripple effect, where one vulnerable home can put neighboring properties at risk.
Home hardening can be costly, but experts say simple actions, like clearing gutters and roofs of debris, can be effective, while upgrades like fine-mesh vents and fire-resistant siding offer added protection.
City officials are expected to present a proposed ordinance to the council within the next year.
The post Boulder City Council eyes stricter wildfire hardening rules, including for existing homes appeared first on The Boulder Reporting Lab.