Blog

The Latest on Home Fire Protection Measures, Resources, and Insurance

By Charley Rea

 

A priority concern for Californians and policy makers this year has been to build and protect homes from fire, and simultaneously provide insurance that is not only available but incentivizes use of resistant and non combustible materials.  Fortunately, state and private initiatives are moving forward to help achieve these goals.  This is an update on recent developments. 


In June, the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety (IIBHS) released an update to its Wildfire Prepared Home™ Technical Standard.  The standard allows homeowners in California to earn one of two designations by reducing their home's wildfire risk. The base level uses fundamental wildfire mitigation measures to protect homes from wind-driven embers. The plus level adds enhanced protection against direct flame contact and radiant heat through use of noncombustible materials.  Either can potentially assist homeowners in obtaining insurance or getting premium reductions.

 

In July, and then later in August, the Dept. of Insurance announced approvals for catastrophic wildfire insurance risk models, the first time this has happened in California!  Allowing forward-looking catastrophic modeling is a critical step for improving insurance coverage in California, an area where the state was far behind other states.  Previously, insurance companies could only look at past history to assess risk. These models are also important for home building, too.  “For the building industry, it means more opportunities to insure projects and deliver the housing Californians urgently need,” said Dan Dunmoyer, President and CEO of the California Building Industry Association.

 

Later In August, the IIBHS released additional information for homeowners on how to create an ember-resistant “zone zero” buffer around existing homes, including a 90 minute video.   Essentially, this means having a five-foot non-combustible area around a home, along with changes to siding, windows, roofs, gutters, and vents.  Zone zero is an essential feature of the Dept. of Insurance's Safer from Wildfire program, which can assist homeowners with lower insurance premiums.  It is also the subject of the CA Board of Forestry and Fire Protection zone zero rulemaking which will conclude at the end of the year. 

 

The effectiveness of home hardening and having a noncombustible 5-foot perimeter around a home was made clear in a recent CalFire and IIBHS demonstration in Sacramento.  Two identical homes–one made with standard materials and one with a noncombustible perimeter and fire resistant materials–were each subject to identical fire embers.  The standard home succumbed quickly, while the hardened home was untouched.  

 

To continue the momentum, in late September the Governor issued a wide-ranging executive order to request additional studies, research, and recommendations among state agencies to address several issues related to wildfire risk reduction and insurance availability.  Specifically, it requires CalFire and the Dept. of Insurance to provide “recommendations on additional mitigation measures and technology solutions to reduce the risk of ignition of wildfires and limit the spread of and damage from wildfires.”  


More changes are likely, including completion of the CA Board of Forestry and Fire Protection's pending Ember Resistant Zone Zero rule later this year.