ICC Board Concludes Review of ICC 605, Announces Path Forward for Future Wildland-Urban Interface Code Development

The International Code Council (ICC) Board of Directors has announced an important update regarding the future of ICC 605, Standard for Residential Construction in Regions with Wildfire Hazard, following a formal Scope and Intent Question (SIQ) submitted under Council Policy #1 – Appeals. The SIQ sought clarification on whether ICC 605 was intended to duplicate or overlap provisions already contained in the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC). 

After reviewing the question and supporting materials, the Board affirmed that ICC 605 was never intended to replace, duplicate or diminish any existing IWUIC requirements. Instead, its purpose was to supplement the IWUIC by exploring additional concepts related to resilience in wildland-urban interface areas. 

ICC 605 Development to Be Sunset

To remove confusion and ensure a more comprehensive IWUIC, the Board has directed ICC staff to suspend further development of ICC 605 and formally sunset the project. This includes withdrawing the associated ANSI Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) filing. 

Acknowledging the Committee’s Contributions 

The ICC Board expressed its sincere appreciation for the dedication and expertise of everyone involved in the ICC 605 effort. While the project itself is being sunset, the work completed will play a meaningful role in shaping the next generation of wildland-urban interface codes—supporting safer, more resilient communities for years to come. 

Preserving and Using the Work Completed 

Staff have been instructed to identify relevant concepts from the ICC 605 development process and integrate them into the 2030 IWUIC development cycle, following Council Policy 28. 

These concepts will also be forwarded to the Fire Code Action Committee (FCAC) and FCAC Work Group 7 for further consideration, including: 

• Provisions suitable for incorporation into the IWUIC 
• Material addressing existing buildings, alterations and additions 
• Ideas that support subdivision, neighborhood and community level resilience 

This approach ensures that the insights and expertise contributed by the ICC 605 committee will continue to strengthen future codes. 

Opportunities to Stay Involved

The committee secretariat for the ICC 605 effort has scheduled a meeting on Feb. 9, 2026 at 1 PM CST to answer questions and discuss next steps with the committee and interested parties.  

The ICC encourages continued engagement from committee members and the broader community: 

1. Participate in FCAC and FCAC Work Group 7
   Interested individuals may join through the ICC Committee Application portal process by selecting “Interested Party Lists.”   

1. Apply for the 2030 IWUIC Code Development Committee (CDC)
   Applications are open until April 1, 2026, through the ICC Committee Application portal under “Online Applications for Codes…”