Louisville allows fire victims to rebuild under older codes

LOUISVILLE, Colo. (AP) — The Louisville City Council in suburban Denver has voted in favor of allowing residents whose homes were significantly damaged or destroyed in Colorado’s most destructive wildfire to rebuild under less-stringent environmental standards. The Council voted 5-2 to allow affected residents to rebuild under the city’s 2018 codes instead of the 2021 codes. The stricter 2021 codes were adopted shortly before the Dec. 30 wildfire ripped through the area, destroying 1,084 homes, including 550 in Louisville. After the fire, some residents complained that the regulations would add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of rebuilding.