State inspectors are expected to begin visiting high-risk wildland-urban interface properties in coming weeks, including homes in Draper's SunCrest, Steeplechase and South Mountain neighborhoods. The assessments precede a new annual fee that takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, with charges of $20 to $100 per structure based on square footage. Starting in 2028, fees will be adjusted based on each property's defensible space and condition.

The inspection push comes as residential structure fires are surging across northern Utah's urban corridor this summer, separate from the wildfire threat that has strained Draper-area crews for weeks. A Midvale apartment fire displaced more than 200 residents after flames tore through the building's roof and top floor, and a candle-sparked house fire in Sandy hospitalized two people and killed a cat, Utah News Dispatch reported on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The toll is real.

"Collectively, it's been a very, very busy season," Sandy Fire Chief Ryan McConaghie said.

Unified Fire Authority spokesperson Nate Cochran warned residents to avoid dragging trailer chains, stop flicking cigarette butts out car windows and always keep a water source nearby when barbecuing or using outdoor fires. Overworked air conditioning units can also stress mechanical equipment and spark fires during prolonged heat, Cochran and McConaghie said. If fire agencies get stretched too thin by simultaneous incidents, response times could lengthen, Cochran added.

Draper's WUI exposure

Draper neighborhoods in the WUI generally begin at Highland Drive on the city's eastern and southern border, according to a Draper City Talk podcast recorded June 22, 2026, featuring Draper City Fire Chief Clint Smith. Areas near Widowmaker/Flight Park and the top of SunCrest carry the state's highest risk rating of 8 on a 1-to-8 scale.

Approximately 60,000 structures statewide sit inside the high-risk boundary, according to a Draper city news release citing the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

The fee program was created under House Bill 48 during the 2025 legislative session. House Bill 41, passed in 2026, pushed the fee's start date to Jan. 1, 2027. Counties will collect the fee and send funds to the state's Utah Wildfire Fund. Homeowners who opt out of an assessment will automatically be classified at the highest risk level, Fox 13 reported.

Local governments must adopt wildfire-resistant building standards in WUI areas to remain eligible for state wildfire suppression assistance.

What Draper residents can do now

Draper City Fire offers free lot assessments for WUI-area residents, and the city provides a chipper service for those who clear vegetation. Wildland Fuels Crew Supervisor Parker Hansen conducts on-foot property evaluations.

UFA recommends homeowners create at least a 30-foot safety zone around their home, remove dead and dying vegetation, keep roofs and gutters clear of debris and eliminate ladder fuels that link ground cover to tree limbs.

At Riverton's Public Safety Night on Aug. 4, UFA Public Information Outreach Specialist Ricardo Rivera described the strain on crews: "It has taken a toll, as everyone can tell, between the structure fires, the wildfires, and just the natural events that do happen."

Residents can check whether their property falls within the high-risk WUI boundary at wildfirerisk.utah.gov.