Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-201. Uncontrolled fire is a public nuisance. Any fire on forest, range, watershed, or wildland urban interface land in the state burning uncontrolled and without proper and adequate action being taken to manage it is a public nuisance. Amended by Chapter 174, 2016 General Session
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-202. Fire control — County responsibilities. (1) A county shall abate the public nuisance caused by wildfire on unincorporated, privately owned or county owned forest, range, watershed, and wildland urban interface lands within its boundaries. (2) A county may participate in the wildland fire protection system of the division and become eligible for […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-202.5. City and town responsibilities. (1) A municipality shall abate the public nuisance caused by wildfire on forest, range, watershed, and wildland urban interface land within the boundaries of the municipality if the land is: (a) privately owned; or (b) owned by the municipality. (2) A municipality may participate in the wildland fire […]
Effective 5/5/2021 65A-8-203. Cooperative fire protection agreements with counties, cities, towns, or special service districts. (1) As used in this section: (a) “Eligible entity” means: (i) a county, a municipality, or a special service district, local district, or service area with: (A) wildland fire suppression responsibility as described in Section 11-7-1; and (B) wildland fire […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-203.1. Delegation of fire management authority. (1) As used in this section, “delegation of fire management authority” means the acceptance by the division of responsibility for: (a) managing a wildfire; and (b) the cost of fire suppression, as described in Section 65A-8-203. (2) The division shall make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-203.2. Billing a county or municipality not covered by a cooperative agreement — Calculating cost of wildfire suppression. (1) The division shall bill a county that is not covered by a cooperative agreement with the division, as described in Section 65A-8-203, for the cost of wildfire suppression within the jurisdiction of that county […]
Effective 5/5/2021 65A-8-204. Wildland Fire Suppression Fund created. (1) There is created an expendable special revenue fund known as the “Wildland Fire Suppression Fund.” (2) The fund shall be administered by the division to pay wildfire suppression costs on eligible lands, as wildfire suppression costs are defined by the division by rule made in accordance […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-206. Disbursements from the Wildland Fire Suppression Fund. (1) Disbursements from the fund created in Section 65A-8-204 shall be made only upon written order of the state forester or the state forester’s authorized representative. (2) If the state forester determines money in the fund may be insufficient to cover eligible costs in a […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-207. Division to administer Wildland Fire Suppression Fund — Rulemaking — Procedures. By following the procedures and requirements of Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the division shall make rules to administer the Wildland Fire Suppression Fund. Amended by Chapter 174, 2016 General Session
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-209. Responsibilities of county sheriffs and fire wardens in controlling fires. (1) In a county that has not entered into a cooperative agreement as described in Section 65A-8-203, the county sheriff shall take appropriate action to suppress wildfires on state or private lands. (2) In all cases the county sheriff shall: (a) report, […]
Effective 5/4/2022 65A-8-209.1. County fire warden. (1) As used in this section, “participating county” means a county that participates in a cooperative agreement with the division, as described in Section 65A-8-203. (2) (a) A county fire warden who is employed by the division as a county fire warden full-time and year round shall represent a […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-210. Fire control on state-owned lands — Responsibilities of state agencies. (1) The division shall abate the public nuisance caused by wildfire on state-owned forest, range, watershed, and wildland urban interface lands. (2) State agencies responsible for the administration of state-owned lands shall recognize the need for providing wildland fire protection and the […]
Effective 1/1/2017 65A-8-211. Closed fire season — Notice — Violations — Burning permits — Personal liability — Exemptions from burning permits. (1) (a) The period from June 1 to October 31 of each year is a closed fire season throughout the state. (b) The state forester may advance or extend the closed season wherever and […]
Effective 5/8/2018 65A-8-212. Power of state forester to close hazardous areas — Violations of an order closing an area. (1) (a) If the state forester finds conditions in a given area in the state to be extremely hazardous, “extremely hazardous” means categorized as “extreme” under a nationally recognized standard for rating fire danger, he shall […]
Effective 5/14/2019 65A-8-213. Creation of the Wildland Fire Preparedness Grants Fund — Awarding of grants — Rulemaking. (1) (a) There is created an expendable special revenue fund known as the “Wildland Fire Preparedness Grants Fund.” (b) The Wildland Fire Preparedness Grants Fund shall consist of: (i) voluntary contributions received; (ii) appropriations the Legislature makes to […]
Affected by 63I-2-265 on 7/1/2023 Effective 5/4/2022 65A-8-214. Wildfire prevention and preparedness program — Study. (1) As used in this section: (a) “Defensible space” means the area adjacent to a structure where wildfire preparedness actions are implemented to provide defense from an approaching wildfire or to minimize the spread of a structure fire to wildlands […]
