LYONS, Colo. — Leaders in the Boulder County town of Lyons are considering requiring homeowners to take specific steps to protect their properties from wildfire, something no other town has done before.
The town is no stranger to wildfires, including the nearby Stone Canyon Fire in 2024 that burned more than 1,500 acres, destroyed several homes, and killed one person, according to fire officials.
Lyons town leaders are now weighing a new ordinance that would mandate specific wildfire mitigation steps for homeowners. Earlier this month, the Lyons Board of Trustees revived talks about what the requirements would look like.
A July 30 memo from the town's building department outlined the scope of a potential ordinance, requiring mitigation efforts like clearing combustible materials within five feet of homes, removing debris and flammable vegetation under decks, adding mesh screens on outside vents, and replacing wood fences connecting to homes.
Lyons Mayor Mark Browning said state rules requiring wildfire-resistant materials for new homes and remodels in high fire risk areas won't be enough for Lyons because the town is almost fully built out.
"We have about 740 residential properties in Lyons. There are only about 10 vacant residential lots left," said Browning in a statement to Denver7. "Unlike faster-growing municipalities, Lyons would achieve little fire risk protection from a prospective-only requirement."
Browning also said voluntary efforts, while valuable, have limits. He said in two years about 20 property owners completed mitigation steps through Boulder County's Wildfire Partners program. Browning said Lyons offered $500 per property to match the program's $500 cost reimbursement.
During an Aug. 3 Board of Trustees meeting, some town leaders brought up concerns about enforcement and cost of the potential ordinance.
"I guess my biggest wondering about this is what is the consequence to a homeowner if they have not done what their code compliance officers tells them they need to do," said Trustee Amy Schwartz. "I worry about setting policy that is costly to enforce and then in the end it doesn't happen."
The town memo also outlines strategies short of a mandatory ordinance, including strengthening amendments to the existing state Wildfire Resiliency Code, increasing financial incentives for more expensive mitigation work, creating a Neighborhood Ambassador program to prioritize education, and partnering with outside agencies that can perform mitigation work.
Josie Wratten remembers watching smoke from the Stone Canyon Fire billow above the canyon behind her Lyons home before her family was ordered to evacuate.
"I mean, it was scary because we just didn't know if it was going to come all the way down the canyon and take out all the homes," Wratten said.
After the fire, her family worked with Boulder County's Wildfire Partners program to make specific improvements to their home, including removing juniper trees, replacing outside planters with river rock, and adding mesh screens to exterior vents to keep flying embers out.
"I do think it's important that this neighborhood takes it seriously," she said.
However, she and other residents still have questions about how a wildfire mitigation ordinance would be enforced.
"It's tough. I mean I would like everyone to do their part, and I think it just would be good for the town if everyone could do the wildfire mitigation. But it is tough to make it a requirement because I don't know what the enforcement would be," said Wratten.
A town hall on the potential ordinance is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Lyons Regional Library to discuss the topic and gather public input. Browning said a draft ordinance will be posted for public review before the meeting, though he does not expect a final decision to come out of the town hall.
