As wildfire activity continues to increase across the nation, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is helping builders and developers to reduce wildfire exposure. IBHS recently expanded its Wildfire Prepared program to address risk at the multifamily and neighborhood levels.
The latest updates round out the program’s science-based approach to wildfire mitigation, expanding it beyond individual homes to help reduce the potential for home ignition and structure-to-structure fire spread. This includes the introduction of Wildfire Prepared Multifamily, with mitigation standards for owners of apartments, condos, townhomes, and duplexes. In addition, Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood has been formally added to the program after being piloted with home builder KB Home in both Southern and Northern California to reduce home-to-home wildfire spread.
“Multifamily properties face a unique challenge during wildfires because so many homes are connected within the same building or complex—what happens to one unit can quickly impact many others. That makes it critical for owners to take a coordinated, propertywide approach to reducing risk,” says Steve Hawks, IBHS senior director for wildfire. “The Wildfire Prepared Multifamily standard gives owners a clear, science-based roadmap to address vulnerabilities—from wind-blown embers, the leading cause of ignition, to protecting against flames and radiant heat. By focusing on the building as a system and strengthening each component, owners can better protect residents, limit fire spread, and improve the long-term resilience and insurability of their properties.”
The Wildfire Prepared designation program was established in 2022 and is available in 14 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Wildfire Prepared Multifamily offers two designation levels: Essential, which is focused on reducing risk from wind-driven embers, and Enhanced, which provides enhanced protection from radiant heat and direct flame contact.
“IBHS is continuously studying wildfire in the field and at our Research Center, and those insights directly shape how the standard evolves,” Hawks adds. “That’s how we ensure homeowners, builders, and multifamily community property owners can take actions that are both effective and achievable, improving survivability while supporting long-term insurability.”