Ahead of wildfire season, officials in Jefferson County have adopted new wildfire codes that will be effective on the first of July.

The new codes apply to new building and structure permits applied for on or after July 1, and is 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 five feet of structures.

For plants, trees must be pruned so that branches must be within six to 10 feet of the ground and tree crowns cannot be within five feet of any structure and must be more than 10 feet from chimneys. All plantings, including shrubs and mulch, must be removed from within five feet of a building, and firewood and other combustible materials cannot be stored within five 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, as high winds coming off the mountains coupled with hot and dry conditions and a large number of homes.