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Forbes
7 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood Offers Resilience, Insurance Benefits
The nation's first Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood is located in Escondido, California, a suburb of ... More San Diego. A great kitchen! Great schools! Great location! These have all been highly sought-after attributes by prospective homebuyers for decades. Fire resilience? That attribute is new, sparked by recent wildfires across the country – especially the devastating blazes in Los Angeles this past January – and insurance companies cancelling policies for high risk regions. A new Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood program from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, building on its successful Wildfire Prepared Home program, is betting that fire resilience will be an important new attribute for home buyers. The nation'sfirst certified community, KB Home's Dixon Trail, is located in Escondido, California, a suburb 45 miles northeast of San Diego. The latest 2025 Cal Fire map puts the upscale 64-home single family development in a high risk zone. So it's not surprising that the first feature mentioned on the Dixon Trail website is 'Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood.' 'We view this as an important research and development project to better understand the benefits,' shares Steve Ruffner, KB Home Coastal's regional general manager. Dixon Trail will serve as a model for the company's wildfire mitigation efforts, he added. Ruffner's team saw a demonstration of the WPH fire resilience features at a 2024 conference, which led to conversations about bringing those attributes to an entire KB Home community. Dixon Trail had just broken ground at the time, 'so timing and location made it an ideal choice for this pilot program,' he notes. The certified neighborhood program had just been finalized, so that Dixon Trail was the first community building to that standard, notes an IBHS spokesperson. 'What we see in Escondido at the Dixon Trail development with KB Home is what we need to see replicated across the West. When new construction is occurring, we need to build homes that are survivable and insurable. Wildfire Prepared Home and Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood are exactly the pathway to those ends,' declares Roy Wright, IBHS' CEO. The trade organization is getting inquiries from other builders and developers to potentially get their neighborhoods certified. How does a development qualify as a Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood? Only homes in California and Oregon are currently eligible for the designation, though other states will be added soon, an IBHS spokesperson says. All homes must be spaced a minimum of 10 feet apart, have a Class A roof, have a homeowners association and build each residence to Wildfire Prepared Home standards. (Depending on the neighborhood's location, it will require Plus or Basic levels for the individual homes.) 'KB Homes worked closely with IBHS to pre-designate the homes in that community based on the model designs and landscaping,' notes Ivan O'Neill, a Sonoma County-based WPH certification reviewer and wildland firefighter. 'Once homeowners purchase the home, they will be required in the HOA CC&Rs to get the designation, and it's all set up for them to create an account and get it done,' O'Neill explains. These are the criteria for getting Wildfire Prepared Home certified to Basic or Plus levels. In addition to the peace of mind in having a home built to greater fire resilience than most resale homes and a community planned on that basis, there are insurance benefits for WPH owners in California. The state mandates discounts for specific fire resilience features and requires carriers in the state to advise homeowners of their property's wildfire risk score. 'To drive forward wildfire safety, the Department of Insurance created the nation's first insurance discount program for mitigation actions called Safer from Wildfires,' comments CDI's deputy insurance commissioner Michael Stoller. WPH mirrors the state program's criteria in many important ways, he notes, though it is separate. Insurance companies can provide added discounts beyond the state's requirements, he says. Some of them are doing exactly that for the IBHS programs. State Farm provides the state required discounts, and an additional discount for both WPH levels, a spokesperson shares. 'Depending on the combination of discounts a customer qualifies for, the total maximum wildfire mitigation discount a customer can receive for their homeowners policy in California is between 6.3% and 10.1%.' 'Generally, Farmers customers in California are eligible for discounts of up to 8% on their wildfire peril premium, depending on the number and types of risk mitigation measures implemented and the characteristics of the property. An inspection arranged through the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) is one way that customers may validate the specific measures which have been successfully implemented and may qualify for a discount,' notes a spokesperson from that carrier. 'We've proposed discounts of up to 39% for IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home Plus (applies only to the wildfire peril premium) in our pending rate filing with the California Department of Insurance,' comments an executive with Mercury Insurance. 'We don't know when that will be approved, however, so there is no timeline of when these will be available to Mercury customers and California consumers.' Another challenge for California homeowners is policy cancellations. Thousands occurred in 2024, just months before the devastating LA fires. These impacted both individual owners and their homeowner associations. Many scrambled to find new coverage, often with much higher premiums and deductibles. Mercury also notes, 'Homes that have been certified as a Wildfire Prepared Home or Wildfire Prepared Home Plus are excellent risks and it's highly likely that Mercury would renew these customers. Other factors are also considered when offering renewals, but we believe homes that achieve these designations are significantly better wildfire risks and would therefore be much more likely to be renewed.' 'I think this is the future of most (or all) new housing developments in California that are located on the outskirts of existing communities,' O'Neill predicts. The cost difference is minimal when planned ahead, he points out. 'Developers need to follow KB Homes' lead and build to the WPH Plus level standard from the beginning and ensure that their future homebuyers will have access to more insurance options.' ***Note: All interviews were conducted by email in May 2025.
Washington Post
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Alabama study reveals hurricane resilience programs are paying off for homeowners and insurers
A new Alabama study of hurricane-affected homes sends a clear message to insurers and homeowners nationwide: climate-resilient construction methods can protect homes, and save a lot of money. The first-of-its-kind analysis , released this week, reviews thousands of insurance claims linked to Hurricane Sally , which struck Alabama's coast in 2020 with wind speeds up to 105 miles per hour. Homes retrofitted or built to Fortified standards, a voluntary construction code created by the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety (IBHS) for wind and rain mitigation saw significantly fewer and less costly claims.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon partners with insurance industry to help homeowners with wildfire prevention
Three fires converged in 2020, destroying over 1,500 structures in the Santiam Canyon, which included massive destruction to the city of Detroit, shown here. A partnership between the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety could help Oregonians harden homes and create defensible space to spare them from burning up in a wildfire. (Photo courtesy of Oregon State University) Oregon's State Fire Marshal is collaborating with a nonprofit backed by the insurance industry to help Oregonians protect their homes from burning and keep their premiums from rising. State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple signed a memorandum of agreement Friday with Roy Wright, CEO of the South Carolina-based Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, which oversees the 'Wildfire Prepared' certification program. The program offers homeowners in California, and now Oregon, certificates for undertaking specific wildfire prevention work around their homes. In turn, insurers could incorporate certification into their calculus for rates and premiums, helping to curb the rising cost of property insurance, which has grown 30% since 2020, according to the state's Department of Consumer and Business Services. For Gov. Tina Kotek, the memorandum is about making sure Oregonians can keep getting property insurance, period. 'What I think is important for us is that we continue to have insurance for our homeowners here, despite the wildfire risk. That's not true in other states,' she said at a news conference Monday. 'We also want the price to come down, but at a minimum we need to have insurance for our homeowners.' The California Department of Insurance requires insurance companies operating in the state to offer discounts for wildfire mitigation work. The Oregon Legislature hasn't passed similar requirements, but Kotek said that's not necessary yet. 'We still have an insurance market. California is really struggling to maintain insurance coverage. That's not our issue right now,' she said. 'I think by working with the insurance industry and (implementing) best practices for communities, we're going to have a different relationship than they have in California.' Besides offering certificates for wildfire prevention work, the state and the association will partner on research, educational opportunities for Oregonians around home hardening and defensible space and offering post-wildfire analysis. Getting certified The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, an independent nonprofit backed by major insurers including State Farm and Farmers Insurance, offers two different Wildfire Prepared certificates: one for older homes being retrofitted to withstand fire and one for newer homes being built to withstand fires. The certificates apply only to single-family homes three stories or less, and the person who applies for the certification has to own the home. Townhomes, condos, multiplexes and apartment buildings are not eligible, and the process can't be started by a renter. The main requirement homeowners must meet is clearing a 5-foot buffer around the home and any deck, leaving no combustible material. That means no trees, overhanging branches, mulch, grass, turf, wood or vinyl fencing can be within 5 feet of a home or deck. After work is completed, homeowners submit $125 along with an application that includes photos of their work. Inspectors at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety review the photos and, if approved, a third party inspector follows up to visit and confirm the work has been done, or document what more should be done. Homeowners who are certified must submit photos annually showing they are maintaining their defensible space buffer and they must get recertified every three years. In a news release, Oregon's Insurance Commissioner Andrew Stolfi said the certification should eventually help Oregonians keep and afford insurance. 'When consumers and the state invest in reducing wildfire risk, insurers — guided by data and science — should reflect that progress in rating and underwriting, helping to keep coverage available and affordable for Oregonians,' he said. Investment or incentives from the Legislature that might help Oregonians with the costs of home hardening, however, has lagged. In 2021, following the catastrophic 2020 Labor Day Fires, the Legislature allocated more than $30 million to help Oregonians with home hardening. By 2023, the Legislature allocated about 10% of that. A 2024 grant program from the State Fire Marshal's Office that provided $250 grants to help Oregonians afford defensible space landscaping is no longer available, according to Kassie Keller, an agency spokesperson. Kotek said helping Oregonians afford to prevent wildfires from burning up their homes is still a priority for her. 'The session's not over yet,' she said. 'I'm going to continue to fight for dedicated dollars, and frankly new dollars, to help have more of these community-based grants to help not only individual homeowners harden and be protected from wildfire, but the whole community.' This article was first published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Shumway for questions: info@
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Safe, Affordable Used And New Vehicles For Teens
Teen drivers are at heightened risk of being in a crash because of inexperience and immaturity. ... More Crash rates are nearly four times those of drivers 20 and older. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Parents are often tempted to give their teen drivers old, hand-me-down or inexpensive cars, but it's usually a bad idea. Older vehicles and low-budget models often lack the most effective safety and crash protection features. It's important, as teen drivers are at heightened risk of being in a crash because of inexperience and immaturity – they have crash rates nearly 4 times those of drivers 20 and older. To help families choose safe – and affordable – vehicles, the latest edition of an annual list of recommended used and new vehicles for young drivers was released on Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Consumer Reports (CR). 'This list is designed to help buyers narrow their search to vehicles that can help drivers avoid crashes and also protect vehicle occupants in the event that a crash does occur,' Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, said in a statement. 'That combination increases the odds of keeping new drivers safe as they gain experience.' On this year's list are 74 used 'good choice' models, priced at $10,000 or less, that performed well in a variety of safety tests. Another 48 'best choices' – the top tier of used models – come with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and highly rated headlights; they can be purchased for less than $20,000. (AEB can help drivers avoid rear-ending another vehicle and striking a pedestrian, and is an important technology for all drivers, experts say.) For those with larger budgets, 22 new 2025 model year vehicles equipped with the latest in crash protection and safety technology were recommended. 'Given consumers' economic anxiety and the uncertainty around future vehicle prices, the availability of a wide range of safe, affordable used options is welcome news,' Jessica Jermakian, the Insurance Institute's senior vice president for vehicle research, said in a statement. Cars were assessed in a series of crash protection tests, including how well roof strength and head restraints performed. Braking, and emergency and routine handling were also evaluated. This year a good rating in the seat belt reminder evaluation was included in the evaluation. 'Vehicles with good belt reminder ratings have loud, persistent prompts that are difficult to ignore,' Jermakian added. 'This is a great feature for everyone, but especially young people, who are less likely to buckle up than other adults.' Cars for teens should not be too big, too small, or too fast There are a number of exclusions. For example, vehicles with excessive horsepower or marketed for performance were not recommended, as these features 'can entice young drivers to take risks or lead them to speed unintentionally,' researchers said. For the same reason, extra caution is needed when it comes to electric vehicles. They are fundamentally just as safe as gas-powered ones – some were included on the list — but rapid acceleration can be a concern. Unlike gas engines, electric motors give drivers immediate access to all of the vehicle's power, the report noted. Mini Cars or any vehicles that weigh less than 2,750 pounds were not listed, as many smaller models can't protect their occupants as well in crashes with other vehicles. SUVs didn't make the cut either. They aren't good choices for teens because they can be hard to handle and take longer to stop, experts say, and they pose more risk to others on the road, like pedestrians, bicyclists and people in smaller vehicles. 'Helping your kid achieve a milestone of independence shouldn't require compromising on safety,' Jermakian said. For more information and the full list of recommended used and new vehicles, click here and here .
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State partners with insurance industry to help Oregon homeowners with wildfire prevention
Three fires converged in 2020, destroying over 1,500 structures in the Santiam Canyon, which included massive destruction to the city of Detroit, shown here. A partnership between the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety could help Oregonians harden homes and create defensible space to spare them from burning up in a wildfire. (Photo courtesy of Oregon State University) Oregon's State Fire Marshal is collaborating with a nonprofit backed by the insurance industry to help Oregonians protect their homes from burning and keep their premiums from rising. State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple signed a memorandum of agreement Friday with Roy Wright, CEO of the South Carolina-based Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, which oversees the 'Wildfire Prepared' certification program. The program offers homeowners in California, and now Oregon, certificates for undertaking specific wildfire prevention work around their homes. In turn, insurers could incorporate certification into their calculus for rates and premiums, helping to curb the rising cost of property insurance, which has grown 30% since 2020, according to the state's Department of Consumer and Business Services. For Gov. Tina Kotek, the memorandum is about making sure Oregonians can keep getting property insurance, period. 'What I think is important for us is that we continue to have insurance for our homeowners here, despite the wildfire risk. That's not true in other states,' she said at a news conference Monday. 'We also want the price to come down, but at a minimum we need to have insurance for our homeowners.' The California Department of Insurance requires insurance companies operating in the state to offer discounts for wildfire mitigation work. The Oregon Legislature hasn't passed similar requirements, but Kotek said that's not necessary yet. 'We still have an insurance market. California is really struggling to maintain insurance coverage. That's not our issue right now,' she said. 'I think by working with the insurance industry and (implementing) best practices for communities, we're going to have a different relationship than they have in California.' Besides offering certificates for wildfire prevention work, the state and the association will partner on research, educational opportunities for Oregonians around home hardening and defensible space and offering post-wildfire analysis. Getting certified The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, an independent nonprofit backed by major insurers including State Farm and Farmers Insurance, offers two different Wildfire Prepared certificates: one for older homes being retrofitted to withstand fire and one for newer homes being built to withstand fires. The certificates apply only to single-family homes three stories or less, and the person who applies for the certification has to own the home. Townhomes, condos, multiplexes and apartment buildings are not eligible, and the process can't be started by a renter. The main requirement homeowners must meet is clearing a 5-foot buffer around the home and any deck, leaving no combustible material. That means no trees, overhanging branches, mulch, grass, turf, wood or vinyl fencing can be within 5 feet of a home or deck. After work is completed, homeowners submit $125 along with an application that includes photos of their work. Inspectors at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety review the photos and, if approved, a third party inspector follows up to visit and confirm the work has been done, or document what more should be done. Homeowners who are certified must submit photos annually showing they are maintaining their defensible space buffer and they must get recertified every three years. In a news release, Oregon's Insurance Commissioner Andrew Stolfi said the certification should eventually help Oregonians keep and afford insurance. 'When consumers and the state invest in reducing wildfire risk, insurers — guided by data and science — should reflect that progress in rating and underwriting, helping to keep coverage available and affordable for Oregonians,' he said. Investment or incentives from the Legislature that might help Oregonians with the costs of home hardening, however, has lagged. In 2021, following the catastrophic 2020 Labor Day Fires, the Legislature allocated more than $30 million to help Oregonians with home hardening. By 2023, the Legislature allocated about 10% of that. A 2024 grant program from the State Fire Marshal's Office that provided $250 grants to help Oregonians afford defensible space landscaping is no longer available, according to Kassie Keller, an agency spokesperson. Kotek said helping Oregonians afford to prevent wildfires from burning up their homes is still a priority for her. 'The session's not over yet,' she said. 'I'm going to continue to fight for dedicated dollars, and frankly new dollars, to help have more of these community-based grants to help not only individual homeowners harden and be protected from wildfire, but the whole community.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
