January Fire Council

Wildfire Resiliency Code Presentation

Karola Hanks, the previous Fire Marshal of Durango, joined us for Fire Council on January 21st. She presented the Wildfire Resiliency Code, which is designed by an appointed board in the state of Colorado to protect communities and structures through home hardening codes and standards. The board is made of volunteers, who have been meeting multiple times a month since the Fall of 2023, to create an acceptable code to present to the board, state, and the public. Several questions came up through the presentation, from landscaping, to insurance, to cost of construction. Below are the State of Colorado Home Ignition Zone Guide, as well as the Colorado Native Low-Flammability Landscape Plants Guide. Both are great resources for understanding home hardening and the importance of community resilience for wildfire.

The Wildfire Resiliency Code Board is still accepting comments from the public for recommendations on how to improve the code. The Board is hosting listening sessions for the public which can be found at the link below. Community input is critical for successful code implementation. The next listening sessions are below.

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/95132897404?pwd=rg9FnFSRHRiDRnnBgByNqgMZzmnJDR.1

Meeting ID: 951 3289 7404

Passcode: P0HzW5

Friday, 24 Jan. 2025, 09:00am - 10:30am – Structure-Related Industries and Professions

Friday, 31 Jan. 2025, 09:00am - 10:30am – Insurance Industry Representatives and Professional

Friday, 07 Feb. 2025, 09:00am - 10:30am – Fire Service Professionals

Friday, 21 Feb. 2025, 09:00am - 10:30am – Community and Advocacy Organizations