City of Bend’s new ‘home-hardening’ rules to reduce wildfire threat will take effect May 15

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The city of Bend will enact "home-hardening" requirements on May 15 for new homes, to improve their resiliency in the face of any future wildfires.

The Bend City Council recently adopted Section R327 of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, establishing the home‑hardening requirements designed to improve wildfire resilience for new, detached residential construction.

After a work session discussion on Feb. 25, councilors directed staff to move forward with local adoption of R327, a state-adopted section of the residential building code that cities may opt into. The ordinance received its first reading on April 1 and was adopted upon second reading on April 15.

The new requirements will take effect May 15 and apply to new residential building permit applications submitted on or after that date.

R327 establishes wildfire-resilient construction practices for newly constructed dwellings and newly constructed accessory structures. It does not apply to additions or renovations of existing buildings.

The new requirements include the use of non-combustible or ignition-resistant materials for exterior components such as roofing, gutters, windows, vents and siding.

Fire hardening makes a property more resistant to ignition by addressing the most vulnerable part of the home with materials and methods that increase the structure’s resistance to heat, flame and embers.

While R327 does not apply to buildings regulated under the Oregon Structural Specialty Code, such as apartments and commercial buildings, those structures are typically built to a high baseline level of fire resistance, city officials said.

With adoption of the new code, Bend’s residential building standards align more closely with nearby jurisdictions. The code is already in effect for the City of Sisters and in unincorporated areas of Deschutes County, "supporting a consistent regional approach to community wildfire resilience," the city said in Wednesday's announcement.