Background
Boulder County is divided into two Wildfire Zones. Wildfire Zone 1 which is the mountains / forested portion of Boulder County, and Wildfire Zone 2 which is the plains / grasslands of Boulder County (view the Boulder County Wildfire Zones map). In response to the many wildfire events in the history of Boulder County, the Boulder County Building Code has adopted comprehensive ignition resistant construction requirements in Wildfire Zone 1. Wildfire Zone 2 has historically had relatively few fire events that have resulted in widespread structure losses.
The Marshall Fire, which destroyed structures on over 150 parcels in Unincorporated Boulder County, compels us to acknowledge that our current codes which address the hazards of the Wildland Urban Interface of the forested portion of Boulder County (Wildfire Zone 1) do not adequately address the hazards of a changing climate to properties in the grasslands (Wildfire Zone 2). This update revised the Boulder County Building Code to ensure a minimum level of ignition resistance for all structures in Wildfire Zone 2.