Wildland urban interface

AN ACT Relating to implementing the International Wildland Urban 1
Interface Code; amending RCW 19.27.560 and 43.30.580; and reenacting 2
and amending RCW 19.27.031. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 19.27.031 and 2024 c 170 s 1 and 2024 c 133 s 1 are 5
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 6
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, there shall be 7
in effect in all counties and cities the state building code which 8
shall consist of the following model codes which are hereby adopted 9
by reference: 10
(a)(i) The International Building Code, published by the 11
International Code Council, Inc.; 12
(ii) The International Residential Code, published by the 13
International Code Council, Inc.; 14
(b) The International Mechanical Code, published by the 15
International Code Council, Inc., except that the standards for 16
liquefied petroleum gas installations shall be NFPA 58 (Storage and 17
Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases) and ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 18
(National Fuel Gas Code); 19
(c) The International Fire Code, published by the International 20
Code Council, Inc., including those standards of the National Fire 21
S-3936.1
SENATE BILL 6279
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Lovelett and Nobles
Read first time 01/22/26. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
p. 1 SB 6279
Protection Association specifically referenced in the International 1
Fire Code: PROVIDED, That, notwithstanding any wording in this code, 2
participants in religious ceremonies shall not be precluded from 3
carrying handheld candles; 4
(d) ((Only those portions of the )) The International Wildland 5
Urban Interface Code, published by the International Code Council 6
Inc., as specifically referenced in RCW 19.27.560(1)((, or the model 7
International Wildland Urban Interface Code specifically referenced 8
in RCW 19.27.560(2))); 9
(e) The Uniform Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code 10
Standards, published by the International Association of Plumbing and 11
Mechanical Officials: PROVIDED, That any provisions of such code 12
affecting sewers or fuel gas piping are not adopted;13
(f) The rules adopted by the council establishing standards for 14
making buildings and facilities accessible to and usable by 15
individuals with disabilities or elderly persons as provided in RCW 16
70.92.100 through 70.92.160; and 17
(g) The state's climate zones for building purposes are 18
designated in RCW 19.27A.020(((3))) (4) and may not be changed 19
through the adoption of a model code or rule. 20
(2) In case of conflict among the codes enumerated in subsection 21
(1) of this section, the first named code shall govern over those 22
following. 23
(3)(a) The model codes enumerated in this section shall be 24
adopted or amended by the council as provided in RCW 19.27.074 and 25
19.27.032 through 19.27.034 in a three-year state building code 26
adoption cycle. The state building code adoption cycle follows the 27
adoption cycle of the model codes. Substantive changes to the state 28
building code may only be adopted within the three-year cycle except 29
as provided in RCW 19.27.032. 30
(b) The council shall review the most recent editions of each of 31
the model codes enumerated in subsection (1) of this section and take 32
action on adoption no later than 30 months after the date of 33
publication of each such code. The "date of publication" is the date 34
of publication printed in each model code. If only a month and year 35
are shown, the date of publication for such code shall be the last 36
day of the month shown. 37
(4) The council may initiate and implement an interim code 38
adoption cycle for all Washington state building codes if a majority 39
of its voting membership determines one is needed to correct errors 40
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and omissions, or eliminate obsolete, conflicting, redundant, or 1
unnecessary regulations as provided in RCW 19.27.032 through 2
19.27.034. 3
(5) Petitions for emergency statewide amendments to the building 4
code may be submitted, considered, and adopted at any time in 5
accordance with RCW 34.05.350 and 19.27.032 through 19.27.034.6
(6) Off-cycle amendments to any of the Washington state building 7
codes may be initiated and implemented at any time if directed by the 8
legislature. 9
(7) The council shall solicit input from first responders to 10
ensure that firefighter safety issues are addressed during the code 11
adoption process. 12
(8) The council may issue opinions relating to the codes at the 13
request of a local official charged with the duty to enforce the 14
enumerated codes. 15
Sec. 2. RCW 19.27.560 and 2024 c 133 s 3 are each amended to 16
read as follows: 17
(1) ((In addition to the provisions of RCW 19.27.031, the state 18
building code shall, upon )) Upon the completion of a statewide 19
wildfire hazard map and a base-level wildfire risk map for each 20
county of the state, per RCW 43.30.580, ((consist of chapter 1 and 21
the following technical provisions of )) the state building code 22
council shall, by November 1, 2029, adopt by rule the International 23
Wildland Urban Interface Code, published by the International Code 24
Council, Inc., ((which are hereby adopted by reference:25
(a) The following parts of class 1 ignition-resistant 26
construction:27
(i)(A) Roof covering - Roofs shall have a roof assembly that 28
complies with class A rating when testing in accordance with American 29
society for testing materials E 108 or underwriters laboratories 790. 30
For roof coverings where the profile allows a space between the roof 31
covering and roof decking, the space at the eave ends shall be fire 32
stopped to preclude entry of flames or embers, or have one layer of 33
seventy-two pound mineral-surfaced, nonperforated camp sheet 34
complying with American society for testing materials D 3909 35
installed over the combustible decking.36
(B) The roof covering on buildings or structures in existence 37
prior to the adoption of the wildland urban interface code under this 38
section that are replaced or have fifty percent or more replaced in a 39
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twelve month period shall be replaced with a roof covering required 1
for new construction based on the type of ignition-resistant 2
construction specified in accordance with the International Wildland 3
Urban Interface Code. 4
(C) The roof covering on any addition to a building or structure 5
shall be replaced with a roof covering required for new construction 6
based on the type of ignition-resistant construction specified in 7
accordance with the International Wildland Urban Interface Code.8
(ii) Exterior walls - Exterior walls of buildings or structures 9
shall be constructed with one of the following methods:10
(A) Materials approved for not less than one hour fire-resistance 11
rated construction on the exterior side;12
(B) Approved noncombustible materials;13
(C) Heavy timber or log wall construction;14
(D) Fire retardant-treated wood on the exterior side. The fire 15
retardant-treated wood shall be labeled for exterior use and meet the 16
requirements of the International Building Code; or17
(E) Ignition-resistant materials on the exterior side.18
Such materials shall extend from the top of the foundation to the 19
underside of the roof sheathing.20
(iii)(A) Appendages and projections - Unenclosed accessory 21
structures attached to buildings with habitable spaces and 22
projections, such as decks, shall not be less than one hour fire-23
resistance rated construction, heavy timber construction, or 24
constructed of one of the following:25
(I) Approved noncombustible materials;26
(II) Fire retardant-treated wood identified for exterior use and 27
meeting the requirements of the International Building Code; or28
(III) Ignition-resistant building materials in accordance with 29
the International Wildland Urban Interface Code.30
(B) Subsection (1)(a)(iii)(A) of this section does not apply to 31
an unenclosed accessory structure attached to buildings with 32
habitable spaces and projections, such as decks, attached to the 33
first floor of a building if the structure is built with building 34
materials at least two inches nominal depth and the area below the 35
unenclosed accessory structure is screened with wire mesh screening 36
to prevent embers from coming in from underneath.37
(b) Driveways - Driveways shall be provided where any portion of 38
an exterior wall of the first story of the building is located more 39
than one hundred fifty feet from a fire apparatus access road. 40
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Driveways in excess of three hundred feet in length shall be provided 1
with turnarounds and driveways in excess of five hundred feet in 2
length and less than twenty feet in width shall be provided with 3
turnouts and turnarounds. The county, city, or town will define the 4
requirements for a turnout or turnaround as required in this 5
subsection)) or portions thereof adopted pursuant to RCW 19.27.031, 6
shall be implemented. The state building code council shall 7
collaborate with other relevant state agencies and entities, 8
including the department of natural resources and regional fire 9
defense boards pursuant to RCW 43.43.962, and local governments, 10
including, but not limited to, building officials and urban forestry 11
specialists to consider up-to-date wildfire science and create 12
regionally appropriate building codes. Prior to final approval of the 13
statewide maps developed pursuant to RCW 43.30.580, the department of 14
natural resources shall coordinate with the regional fire defense 15
boards established in RCW 43.43.963 for a review of the proposed 16
statewide maps. 17
(2) ((All)) Until 90 days after the completion of an optional 18
code pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, all counties, 19
cities, and towns may adopt the International Wildland Urban 20
Interface Code, published by the International Code Council, Inc., in 21
whole or any portion thereof. 22
(3) ((In adopting and maintaining the code enumerated in 23
subsection (1) of this section, any amendment to the code as adopted 24
under subsection (1) of this section may not result in an 25
International Wildland Urban Interface Code that is more than the 26
minimum performance standards and requirements contained in 27
subsection (1) of this section.28
(4))) All counties, cities, and towns may complete their own 29
wildfire hazard and base-level wildfire risk map for use in applying 30
the code enumerated in subsections (1) and (2) of this section. 31
Counties, cities, and towns may continue to use locally adopted 32
wildfire risk maps until completion of a statewide wildfire hazard 33
map and base-level wildfire risk map for each county of the state per 34
RCW 43.30.580. Six months after the statewide wildfire hazard map and 35
base-level wildfire risk map is complete, any map adopted by 36
counties, cities, and towns must utilize the same or substantially 37
similar criteria as the map required by subsection (1) of this 38
section. 39
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(((5))) (4) The state building code council may adopt by rule 1
technical provisions of the International Wildland Urban Interface 2
Code as an optional code to be used by cities and counties that have 3
completed wildfire hazard maps and base-level wildfire risk maps 4
pursuant to subsection (3) of this section for implementation. Upon 5
the completion of a statewide wildfire hazard map and a base-level 6
wildfire risk map for each county as required in RCW 43.30.580, the 7
adoption of an optional code as provided in this subsection (4) shall 8
no longer apply.9
(5) All counties, cities, and towns issuing commercial and 10
residential building permits for parcels in areas identified as high 11
hazard and very high hazard on the map required by subsection (1) of 12
this section or adopted according to subsection (((4))) (3) of this 13
section shall apply the code enumerated in subsections (1) or (2) of 14
this section. 15
(6) When developing defensible space requirements under the 16
International Wildland Urban Interface Code, the state building code 17
council must coordinate with the department of ecology, the 18
department of fish and wildlife, the department of commerce, and 19
local governments to ensure that such defensible space requirements 20
align with the requirements of the growth management act, shoreline 21
master programs, and other applicable environmental regulations 22
adopted by the state.23
(7) All counties and cities, with the approval of the local fire 24
marshal, may adopt local amendments to the International Wildland 25
Urban Interface Code as needed to meet local conditions or 26
constraints. Amendments affecting single-family or multifamily 27
residential buildings shall not be effective unless the amendment is 28
approved by the building code council pursuant to RCW 29
19.27.074(1)(b).30
Sec. 3. RCW 43.30.580 and 2024 c 133 s 4 are each amended to 31
read as follows: 32
(1) The department shall, to the extent practical within existing 33
resources, establish a program of technical assistance to counties, 34
cities, and towns for the development of findings of fact and maps 35
establishing the wildland urban interface areas of jurisdictions in 36
accordance with the requirements of the International Wildland Urban 37
Interface Code as adopted by reference in RCW 19.27.560.38
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(2) The department shall develop and administer a grant program, 1
subject to funding provided for this purpose, to provide direct 2
financial assistance to counties, cities, and towns for the 3
development of findings of fact and maps establishing wildland urban 4
interface areas. Applications for grant funds must be submitted by 5
counties, cities, and towns in accordance with regulations adopted by 6
the department. The department is authorized to make and administer 7
grants on the basis of applications, within appropriations authorized 8
by the legislature, to any county, city, or town for the purpose of 9
developing findings of fact and maps establishing wildland urban 10
interface areas. 11
(3) The department shall establish and maintain a statewide 12
wildfire hazard map and a base-level wildfire risk map for each 13
county of the state based upon criteria established in coordination 14
with the state fire marshal office. Prior to final approval of the 15
statewide wildfire hazard map and base-level wildfire risk map, the 16
department of natural resources shall coordinate with the regional 17
fire defense boards established in RCW 43.43.963 to review and 18
receive input on the proposed statewide maps. The hazard map shall be 19
made available on the department's website and shall designate areas 20
as low, moderate, high, and very high wildfire hazard. The risk map 21
shall be made available on the department's website and designate 22
vulnerable resources or assets based on their exposure and 23
susceptibility to a wildfire hazard. The department shall establish a 24
method by which local governments may update the wildfire hazard map 25
and wildfire risk map based on local assessments and approved by the 26
jurisdiction's fire marshal. The department shall make publicly 27
available the criteria and analysis utilized in assessing the 28
wildfire hazard and risk. 29
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