By Robin Widmar
Destructive wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity. As a result, the state of Colorado has implemented statewide building standards for properties at high risk from wildfire. The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code is intended to make communities safer and more resilient to wildfires, as well as to maintain insurability of homes. But the reality of the CWRC has been more complicated as homeowners, builders and fire districts look to implement it.
Background
Senate Bill 23-166 established the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board. Its purpose was to develop a statewide model code for wildfire resilience, according to the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control website. On July 1, 2025, the state adopted the CWRC, which the department of fire prevention and control describes as “a state minimum code applying to new construction and significant exterior alterations and additions within the Wildland Urban Interface.” It is not a retrofit code. The term WUI refers to geographic areas where structures meet combustible vegetation.
Jurisdictions with areas designated in the WUI were given until April 1, 2026, to adopt the CWRC, with implementation required by July 1, 2026. Key provisions of the CWRC include structure hardening, which focuses on construction materials and methods that resist ignition from embers and flames, and creating defensible space around structures by reducing or eliminating ignitable vegetation.
The CWRC uses the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency State Code Map, which was developed by DFPC and the Colorado State Forest Service. The map illustrates both current and potential WUI areas based on a combination of vegetative fuels, topography and weather conditions to indicate how intense a wildfire might be. It does not determine probability or risk of wildfire ignition. The DFPC website states that local governing bodies can either adopt the official state-provided map or develop their own local map.
Delays ahead?
Fire districts, municipalities and other organizations statewide appear to support the intent of the CWRC but some have found implementation challenging. On its website, the Colorado Municipal League, which represents the state’s cities and towns, cited issues including inaccuracies in the state’s CWRC map, jurisdictional lack of enforcement resources and an overall need for more time to implement the code.
House Bill 26-1334, “Modify Standards of Wildfire Resiliency Code Board,” was introduced in the State House on March 16, 2026. As introduced, the bill aims to delay mandated adoption of the CWRC by one year to April 1, 2027. Among the provisions of the bill is a requirement that the code board review the CWRC by July 1, 2026, and no less than every three years and requires the code board to establish a process for a person impacted by the CWRC to petition for a code modification.
As of the date of publication, HB 26-1334 was assigned to the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee for consideration.
Local fire departments weigh in
At their Dec. 10, 2025, district board meeting, Black Forest Fire Rescue passed a resolution to simultaneously adopt the CWRC in its entirety along with the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code. In an email to The New Falcon Herald, BFFR Fire Chief David Rocco wrote that BFFR adopted the CWRC “because we support regulations that promote wildland fire safety within our community. Our understanding is that the code is currently not optional, and our Board felt that adopting it aligned with our responsibility to support practices that reduce wildfire risk.” He also acknowledged that “there are still questions about what legislative authority … exists to enforce the regulation consistently across jurisdictions.”
The Falcon Fire Protection District passed a resolution at their Feb. 18, 2026, board meeting to not adopt the CWRC at that time. One reason given was inconsistency between the state’s CWRC map and actual observed risks within the fire district. Another is that the CWRC is an unfunded mandate leading to additional expenses for fire districts and taxpayers. FFPD Fire Chief Trent Harwig explained the rationale for this decision, saying “We agree with and like what the CWRC does” in terms of structure hardening and defensible space requirements. He also noted that FFPD attempted to enact similar requirements for structures built in the WUI during a previous fire code adoption, but the county disapproved it.
However, Harwig said the state’s CWRC map is not accurate. It applies the same “moderate intensity” classification to most of the 113 miles of the fire district –– forest and grasslands alike. “That’s the part we don’t agree with,” he said. “Why impose the same hardened structure requirements on the prairie as in Black Forest?” Harwig said FFPD is engaging a land development consultant to help redraw its portion of the CWRC map so that it accurately reflects the district.
At the March 18 FFPD board meeting, Harwig said the district learned it could adopt the CWRC without the appendices, which is what some other fire districts are doing. The appendices cover permits, construction documents, inspection and enforcement. As a result of the introduction of HB 26-1334, the board opted to postpone adoption of the CWRC and monitor the bill’s progress before making any further decisions. In the meantime, the district will continue to work on creating a more accurate map for CWRC.
The need for wildfire resilience measures is not in dispute. On its website, the DFPC states: “The most destructive fires in Colorado history have all occurred in the last fifteen years, with most structure losses and damage in the WUI.” The CWRC is meant to reduce loss of life and property as the state continues to face increased fire danger resulting from warmer temperatures and drought conditions.
To read the full CWRC, go to https://dfpc.colorado.gov/colorado-wildfire-resiliency-code.A general code summary is available at https://dfpc.colorado.gov/cwrc-what-and-why.
