County fire warden urges Woodruff to adopt Wildland-Urban-Interface code under House Bill 48

Travis Hobbs, county fire warden with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, told the Woodruff Town Board that the Cooperative Wildfire System (CWS) acts like an insurance policy for local governments and that Woodruff currently pays nothing into the fund because its assessed risk is low. "You guys pay $0 into this insurance fund," Hobbs said, adding that maintaining good standing in CWS protects local taxpayers from potentially large wildfire costs if a private-land fire spreads into town.

Hobbs summarized House Bill 48, enacted in the most recent legislative session, and said it requires cities participating in CWS to adopt and enforce the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code and to map a WUI boundary. He described the mapping task and code adoption as the town’s responsibility, but offered county assistance: "I can help develop that map," Hobbs said, and he offered GIS support and a template ordinance for the board to consider.

Board members asked about where a WUI boundary would fall and whether inspections or enforcement would be the county’s responsibility. Hobbs said the town’s responsibility is limited to inside its municipal limits and that the county can support pre-lot inspections and building-code enforcement; the county building inspector and the fire district would also be involved in implementation.

Hobbs recommended the board act before the summer building season and proposed a timeline for preparing materials for public review. He also recommended a public meeting so residents can ask questions before the board adopts any ordinance.

What happens next: Hobbs said he would review recorder maps, draft a proposed WUI boundary and forward a template ordinance and related materials to the board ahead of the next regularly scheduled meeting so the town can consider adoption and a public meeting.