Ahead of wildfire season, officials in Jefferson County adopted new wildfire codes that will take effect in July.

The new codes apply to new building and structure permits applied for on or after July 1 and are intended to strengthen buildings against wildfire dangers. The code requires homeowners to create “defensible space” around their homes, use ignition-resistant building materials and remove plants from close proximity to structures.

According to the codes, a defensible space is defined as either a natural or man-made space that can slow the rate and intensity of advancing wildfires, as well as create an area for fire suppression operations. In terms of man-made structures, officials encourage homeowners to utilize noncombustible materials such as rock, gravel, sand, concrete or stone in areas within 5 feet of structures.

For plants, trees must be pruned so that branches must be within 6 to 10 feet of the ground and tree crowns cannot be within 5 feet of any structure and must be more than 10 feet from chimneys. All plantings, including shrubs and mulch, must be removed from within 5 feet of a building, and firewood and other combustible materials cannot be stored also within 5 feet of a building.

Within 30 feet of structures, homeowners must remove dead plant materials, prevent fuel accumulations such as firewood piles, logs, branches and mulch.

The new codes are not retroactive and will only apply to new buildings and structures.

Jefferson County ranks first in the state for number of homes in high and extreme wildfire risk areas, and over two-thirds of the county is within a designated Wildfire Hazard Overlay District. The risk is due to a mix of factors, including Jefferson County’s location at the foothills of the Front Range, and high winds coming off the mountains, coupled with hot and dry conditions and a large number of homes.