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Title: |
Summit County, CO - Fire Hazard Mitigation Requirements for New Construction
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Type: |
Regulatory
Homeowner assistance
Fuelbreaks
Designation of high risk areas
Community Planning
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Jurisdiction: |
County
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State: |
Colorado
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Program Description: |
Summit County, Colorado is located 70 miles west of Denver, high in the Rocky Mountains. Summit County is well known for its outstanding recreation values and world class snow skiing. The towns of Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone, Breckenridge,Frisco, Blue River and Montezuma are located in Summit County. Summit County is surrounded by National Forest land, impacted by mountain pine beetle and mistletoe infestations, and posing a wildfire threat to the urban developments adjacent to its boundaries.
Wildfire Mitigation Activities
To address the threat of wildfire, Summit County has hired a full-time Wildfire Mitigation Officer and amended its Building Code to include Fire Hazard Mitigation Requirements for New Construction (Chapter 36 of the Uniform Building Code). New homes and remodels in an area rated as moderate or high fire hazard risk in unincorporated Summit County must go through a wildfire mitigation inspection process.
Additionally, the Wildfire Mitigation Officer conducts a public education program to educate homeowners and builders/developers about defensible space concepts, vegetation management, fuels reduction techniques, and firewise landscaping. She works with community groups to spread enthusiasm for creating defensible space, such as working with the Sierra Club on a Clean-up day, shown in the photos below.
The wildfire mitigation work is a cooperative effort of the Summit County Government and the four local fire districts: Lake Dillon Fire Protection District, Red, White & Blue Fire Service, Snake River Fire District, and Copper Mountain Fire Distict.
Chapter 36, Fire Hazard Mitigation Requirements for New Construction
The amended Building Code regulations "establish minimum design and construction standards for the protection of life and property from fire within the Urban Wildland Interface. The ordinance applies to "all new building construction, including additions that increase a building's habitable footprint or number of stories."
Defensible Space is defined as "a designated area of fuel modification surrounding a building or buildings, intended to reduce fire-spread potential between structure and wildland." Defensible space shall extend a minimum of 30 feet or to the property line for flat lots, and 100 feet on the downhill side for lots with a slope of over 40%. Defensible space distance requirements are based on recommended distances in Colorado State Forest Service publication #123-691, "Wildfire Protection in the Wildland Urban Interface."
The defensible space regulations require that slash and flammable debris be removed from the defensible space zone, and that all trees and shrubs within 10 feet of the structure be removed. Trees and shrubs over 5 feet tall must have an average crown spacing of 10 feet. Groupings of trees are allowed, provided their crowns are at least 10 feet from the structure. Trees remaining in the defensible space must have branches pruned to a height of 10 feet, but not more than 1/3 of the tree height.
Fire-Resistive Construction materials, including Class A roofs, are required by the ordinance, and water hydrant minimums are specified.
Section 3603 - Hazard Ratings and Section 3604 � Required Mitigation
The Colorado State Forest Service assigns a Wildfire Hazard Rating of "low", "moderate", or "high" to each subdivision or portion of a subdivision. This rating is based on slope, aspect, fuel types, fuel continuity, ground fuels, and hazards such as steeper slopes, natural chimneys, ravines, deep draws, or inadequate access roads.
Depending on the rating, different levels of mitigation are required. Homes in a "low" wildfire hazard rating area don't require any mitigation. If the rating is "Moderate", the Wildfire Mitigation Officer inspects the home and the homeowner is required to create defensible space around the home. If the rating is "High", the builder may be required to install double dry wall, monitored smoke alarms, a sprinkler system, and the Wildfire Mitigation Officer inspects to create the required defensible space.
All new homes and remodels in unincorporated Summit County require a Certificate of Occupancy signed by the Wildfire Mitigation Officer. The Wildfire Mitigation Officer does have the authority to re-inspect a property and change the wildfire classification set by the CSFS if there have been improvements which decrease the hazard. This might include the addition of a new water supply,clearance of vegetation, or the paving of streets and installation of hydrants.
Contact Information
For more information on Summit County's regulations and public education efforts, contact Patti Maguire via email at Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue, or call (970) 513-4237.
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