DENVER — With "fire season" growing well beyond its traditional bounds, Colorado lawmakers have already introduced a string of bills to help keep communities safe from wildfires.
WATCH: These are the wildfire-related bills introduced by Colorado lawmakers
The first regular session of the 75th General Assembly convened on Jan. 8, when most of these bills were introduced. While the majority are still under consideration, one has passed in both the Colorado Senate and the House of Representatives, and another has been lost.
Below are the bills that have been introduced this session, who is sponsoring them, and what they aim to accomplish.
House Bill 25-1009 "Vegetative Fuel Mitigation"
This bill would allow any fire protection district, as well as certain metropolitan districts, to create a program that would specifically require the removal of fire fuel, like dry and dead vegetation, on private property. This can include leaves, grass, shrubs and pine needles.
The program's policies must line up with the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, or an updated version of it, but the bill reads that the program can also use the standards that the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board has adopted.
All notices would come in the mail. If a private property owner does not remove the dry vegetation at least 10 days after a second written notice, the fire protection district can fine them up to $300 per incident. However, the fine will be waived if the property owner removes the fire fuel within 10 days of being fined, according to the bill.
Any revenue that a fire protection district gains from these fines must go toward the removal of dry vegetation on private property within that same jurisdiction, with priority going to low-income, single, senior, or disabled owners and residents.
Under this bill, landowners would also have the chance to dispute the fine. The fire protection district's board can choose to waive the fine as needed. Those reasons can include if the foliage was already removed, if the owner cannot afford the fine or if they have a disability that prevents them from removing the vegetation themselves. The board can also waive the fine for delays due to weather, or if the owner has started the process and has not yet finished.
Private property does not include land classified for agricultural use or owned by a nonprofit entity and leased for agricultural use.
HB 25-1009's prime sponsors are Rep. Tisha Mauro, Rep. Junie Joseph, Sen. Lisa Cutter and Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, all Democrats.
This bill was introduced on Jan. 8, passed in the House on Feb. 7 and passed in the Senate on Monday.
House Bill 25-1078 "Forestry & Firefighter Workforce & Education"
Under this bill, the Colorado Cooperative Extension Service at Colorado State University (CSU) would be allowed to implement initiatives to attract young people to opportunities related to forestry and wildfires. This can include 4-H programs, internships and industry certifications, among other options. CSU can accept monetary gifts for these initiatives.
In addition, it would require the Colorado Department of Public Safety to award grants for firefighter certificates, provide "train-the-trainer opportunities" so all instructors are on the same page, and establish an outreach campaign to inspire new firefighters. Grants are already available to replace damaged equipment and provide safety training.
A new study from Western Colorado University found extreme fire spread events are causing long-term damage to ecosystems. Watch Scripps News Denver's report on this below:
WATCH: Study: Wildfires are moving faster, forests are less likely to fully recover
HB 25-1078's prime sponsors are Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, Sen. Janice Marchman and Sen. Lisa Cutter, all Democrats.
The bill was introduced on Jan. 10 and remains under consideration.
Senate Bill 25-015 "Wildfire Information & Resource Center Website"
This bill would update the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control's website to include hyperlinks that lead to county-specific emergency information and wildfire updates.
Each of Colorado's counties would be required to give the division this information.
This additional work by the Colorado Department of Safety is expected to be minimal, per the bill's fiscal note.
SB 25-015's prime sponsors are Sen. Lisa Cutter, Sen. Janice Marchman, Rep. Elizabeth Velasco and Rep. Tisha Mauro, all Democrats.
The bill was introduced on Jan. 8 and remains under consideration.
Senate Bill 25-011 "Detection Components for Wildfire Mitigation"
This bill would allow the Colorado Department of Public Safety and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to reach agreements with vendors to operate a system of cameras that would use artificial intelligence to detect wildfires.
The Department of Public Safety would be able to request qualifications from any prospective vendors.
Under any agreement, the department would not own the devices, but would receive detection information from them, the bill reads. The vendor would provide the interface for fire agencies to use. All parties must remain aware of requirements regarding criminal invasion of privacy, the bill reads.
Plus, this bill would create the Fire Technology Cash Fund to pay for these agreements. The Department of Public Safety would be allowed to seek grants and donations to fund this.
A single detection component is estimated at about $50,000 each year.
Expenditures in the department would increase by up to $1 million in fiscal year 2025-2026, and up to $2 million for the following fiscal year, the bill's fiscal note reads.
This bill only authorizes — and does not require — the department to enter into these agreements with vendors of AI technology.
SB 25-011's prime sponsors are Sen. Lindsey Daugherty, Rep. Ron Weinbeg, and Rep. Kyle Brown. This bill is bipartisan.
The bill was introduced on Jan. 8 and remains under consideration.
Senate Bill 25-142 "Changes to Wildfire Resiliency Code Board"
This bill would modify the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, while also creating a statutory definition of the wildland-urban interface (WUI), which is where human development meets natural land.
What is the WUI and why is it so important to firefighting on the Front Range? Scripps News Denver dove into this topic in early January.
WATCH: Wildland-urban interface: What it is and why it's important to firefighting on the Front Range
The Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, which is within the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, was created with the passing of Senate Bill 23-166.
The board is responsible for establishing building codes and standards to reduce wildfire risk across the state.
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More than a million Coloradans live with elevated wildfire risk, CSFS says
As outlined in the bill, the following additions have been proposed:
- Adding one municipal representative representing rural communities
- Adding one county representative representing rural communities
- Adding one municipal representative representing urban communities
- Adding one county representative representing urban communities
- Adding one representative from a municipality that adopted codes for wildfire-resilient structures and best practices before Sept. 30, 2023
- Adding one representative from a county that adopted codes for wildfire-resilient structures and best practices before Sept. 30, 2023
- Adding two mayors of urban municipalities
- Adding two mayors of rural municipalities
- Adding the state water engineer, or a designee
The bill would remove four current members. These individuals represent hazard mitigation, building trades, statewide association of nonprofit utilities and a nonprofit home builder for affordable home ownership, the bill reads.
This bill would also create a new definition of WUI, as outlined below:
- 3 miles or less away from the boundary of any city with a population of 100,000 or more people as of the 2020 United States census;
- 3 miles or less away from the boundary of a transit-oriented community; or
- 3 miles or less away from land that is zoned to allow 40 units or more per acre.
That definition of WUI would replace the statewide definition that was previously established by the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board. The bill would require all counties to create a WUI map of their region that meets the new definition by July 2026.
SB 25-142's sole prime sponsor is Sen. Mark Baisley.
The bill was introduced on Feb. 5 and remains under consideration.
Senate Bill 25-022 "Applying Artificial Intelligence to Fight Wildfire"
This bill, like one listed above, also targets how AI can help detect wildfires. However it was lost in late January, a few weeks after it was first introduced.
It would have required the Colorado Department of Public Safety to study how AI can help fire agencies fight wildfires. Total appropriations to the department, as well as to the Office of Information Technology, was estimated at $7.6 million.
SB 25-011's prime sponsors are Sen. Mark Baisley, Sen. Janice Marchman, Rep. Ron Weinbeg, and Rep. Andrew Boesenecker. This bill is bipartisan.
In late November, The Scripps News Group went in-depth on the reality of year-round wildfires in our special "Burned Out."
In our report, we explore how Colorado's wildfire season has grown beyond the traditional "wildfire season." But amid the smoke is hope as communities rally to protect themselves and new technology emerges.
You can watch this 22-minute special in the video below:
WATCH: Burned Out: The reality of year-round wildfires in Colorado | A Scripps News Denver special
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Colorado Governor Jared Polis raises the Canadian National Flag at the state capitol
In a release from Saturday morning, Governor Jared Polis announced that the Canadian National Flag will be raised at the State Capitol to celebrate March 15 as Colorado Canada Friendship Day.
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