The state of Utah has passed a new law that will change the mandatory rule for thousands of property owners who live in areas with high wildfire risk. Starting January 1, 2026, those with buildings in areas designated as high risk will be required to pay an annual fee, which can be up to $100 per building.
The rule, known as House Bill 48 and officially named Urban wildland interface changeswas passed during the 2025 general legislative session and took effect on March 3 of that year. The central goal is to raise awareness of the fire risk at the wildland-urban interface and encourage the active participation of landowners in mitigating this risk.
From the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, they said the initiative came about due to the increase in homeowners who faced abrupt increases in insurance premiums or lost insurance coverage due to fire exposure. The aim of the law is to create clearer framework conditions for both homeowners and insurers.
🚨Attention Utah!
Your legislators….
…HATE YOU! 🫵Utah House Bill 48 2025
You will now be charged if your property is deemed a “high fire risk” 🔥!
This is the map that has been released and has been deemed “high risk” by the government. pic.twitter.com/fRT8UgfTNv
– Tracie Halvorsen (@TracieHalvorsen) December 20, 2025
The focus of the regulations is on the so-called Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), a concept that describes the areas where houses and other human structures meet undeveloped natural areas. According to state officials, this combination significantly increased the risk of damage from wildfires It became necessary to establish specific prevention rules and evaluation.
Within this general category, HB 48 created a more restrictive subclassification: the High risk wildland-urban interfacewhich summarizes the structures that are most likely to be affected by fire. To identify these areas, the state created a new official high-risk map on behalf of a company specializing in the analysis of wildfire behavior.
The model used combined three main factors: the potential severity of the fire, the probability of occurrence and the level of exposure. In addition to the building density and the proximity between buildings, the calculation also took into account variables such as the type of vegetation, climatic conditions, topography and ember production. The map is updated annually and is publicly available through the Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal.
Stunning new video shows a rare fire tornado – described by crews as a vortex or tornado during the Deer Creek Fire – Utah, USA.
A massive wildfire burns 8,925 acres with 0% containment. Fueled by dry winds forcing firefighters to retreat and leading to widespread evacuations. pic.twitter.com/TqnjWp7JIP
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) July 13, 2025
The law establishes that all private structures located within the boundaries of the high-risk WUI will be subject to the new tariff. State or federal lands are not included. The owners They can check whether their home falls under the regulations by looking for the address on the official maponce it comes into force in 2026.
A flat rate will apply between 2026 and 2027 will vary between $20 and $100 per structureaccording to the taxable square meters. Starting in 2028, the amount will be determined by combining the building area with a technical assessment called a triage assessment. Funds collected will be administered by counties and transferred to the Utah Wildfire Fund, which will be used solely to cover law enforcement and risk assessment costs.
HB 48 will also impact the insurance market. When the law comes into force, insurers are obliged to use the official state map to classify a property as a high-risk property. In addition, if a company decides to increase a premium by 20% or more or cancel a policy due to fire risk, it must justify this decision with specific data at the owner’s request. According to the authorities, this is intended to create more transparency and avoid blanket classifications that damage large parts of the country.
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