Homeowners in Holladay's Canyon Cove and Hughes Canyon neighborhoods could see state wildfire inspectors at their doors in the coming weeks, and those who don't schedule a free risk assessment will automatically be classified at the highest danger level under a new fee program hitting property tax bills next year.
The inspections are part of a statewide program created by HB48, passed during the 2025 legislative session, that targets homes in the Wildland Urban Interface. At the same time, Unified Fire Authority spokesperson Nate Cochran is warning that crews serving Cottonwood Heights and Holladay are being stretched thin by a surge of residential fires, with wildfires across Utah burning an area the size of Salt Lake County so far this year, according to a Utah News Dispatch report published Wednesday, Aug. 5.
UFA firefighter overcome by heat at Midvale blaze
A UFA firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion while battling the July 31 four-alarm fire at the North Union Apartments near Fort Union Boulevard and 900 East in Midvale, Cochran confirmed. The blaze displaced more than 220 households after it ignited in a concealed attic space above the building's sprinkler system and spread rapidly through the roof structure.
"The building was sprinklered, but the fire started above the sprinklers," UFA Captain Patrick Costin told Fox 13 on Aug. 1. "That's why it got established and was able to run through the building quickly."
Despite the heat exhaustion incident, UFA has not recorded any major firefighter injuries this summer, Cochran said. The agency is managing heat risk by cycling crews through cooling and hydration breaks between work rotations.
Cochran warned that if agencies get spread across simultaneous fires, response times could stretch longer than usual.
What UFA wants residents to stop doing
With tinder-dry conditions across the Wasatch Front, Cochran issued blunt prevention guidance: stop dragging trailer chains that throw sparks, stop flicking cigarette butts out car windows, and keep a water source nearby during any outdoor grilling or fire.
Sandy Fire Chief Ryan McConaghie noted that extreme heat doesn't intensify house fires directly, but gusty winds carry flames quickly to neighboring properties and overworked air conditioning units can stress mechanical equipment. Two Sandy residents were hospitalized and a cat was killed in a candle-sparked house fire in early August, he said.
New wildfire fee targets canyon-adjacent homes
State inspectors are expected to begin visiting properties in the coming weeks, according to the Utah News Dispatch report. In Holladay, the city adopted a WUI Overlay Zone in November 2025 covering properties with a state structure exposure score of 5 and above. The highest-risk properties sit in Canyon Cove and the Hughes Canyon area on the city's far eastern side, adjacent to the foothills, according to Holladay City Council records.
The assessment evaluates defensible space and building materials within 100 feet of a home. Homeowners who arrange an evaluation and complete recommended mitigation can lower their fee, estimated between $20 and $100 per structure based on square footage.
Joseph Anderson of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands told the Salt Lake Tribune on Aug. 3 that the program aims for consistent evaluations statewide. Insurers are not required to lower rates based on results, though lawmakers passed HB48 partly to help homeowners facing rising insurance costs in fire-prone areas.
Residents can check whether their property falls in the new WUI zone at wildfirerisk.utah.gov.
What's next
As we reported July 28, both Cottonwood Heights and Holladay have been bolstering wildfire protections this summer. The Cottonwood Heights City Council will hold a Truth-in-Taxation public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 11, on a proposed 42% property tax increase. If the tax hike fails, UFA staffing at Fire Station 110 would drop from four firefighters per shift to three or three and a half.
