IBHS Takes Wildfire Prepared Program to 10 More States

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has extended its Wildfire Prepared designation program to 10 additional states. Bringing the total to 14 states, demand continues to grow for proven, research-based wildfire mitigation actions that help builders and homeowners in high-risk areas better protect their homes and neighborhoods from wildfire.

“Wildfire doesn’t stop at a property line,” says Roy Wright, president and CEO of IBHS. “Once it enters a neighborhood, the built environment can either slow it down or help it spread. What one homeowner, builder, or community does directly affects the survivability of the structures around them. Expanding our Wildfire Prepared designation program allows more families and neighbors to take coordinated, science-based action to reduce risk and strengthen resilience.”

The Wildfire Prepared program offers two levels for individual properties: Wildfire Prepared Home, which outlines essential actions to reduce risk from wind-driven embers, and Wildfire Prepared Home Plus, an enhanced level of protection against radiant heat and direct flame contact. The program also includes Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood, which recognizes builders and communities working together to reduce home-to-home wildfire spread.

Wildfire Prepared, which was established in 2022, is built on the latest IBHS research examining how homes ignite during wildfire events and what mitigation measures most effectively interrupt structure-to-structure spread. The program, which was previously available in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon, is now also available in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

“Wildfire resilience isn’t a single upgrade or a one-time checklist. It takes a set of mitigations to both the home and landscaping, along with ongoing maintenance,” says Steve Hawks, senior director for wildfire at IBHS. “When mitigation measures work together, they improve the chances a structure survives and help strengthen long-term insurability. Expanding Wildfire Prepared makes it easier for more homeowners, builders, and communities to implement that system and demonstrate that meaningful risk reduction has taken place.”

Builders, developers, and community leaders can access program resources and submit Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood inquiries at wildfireprepared.org.