WASHINGTON – Earlier today, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner interviewed two members of the group working on fire mitigation and resiliency standards. The group focused on collaborating with the insurance industry to enhance wildfire mitigation efforts.
The most supported idea was the establishment of a grant program aimed at protecting homes in high-risk areas. This would involve using fire-resistant building materials and other wildfire prevention measures to “harden the home.”
“Not every homeowner has the funding or availability or ability to ‘home harden’ is the term. And by creating this grant program, we would be able to help support homeowners in high-risk areas, retrofit their properties to those IBHS standards,” a spokesperson said.
The group mentioned a similar program in Alabama, which inspired their proposal. This Alabama program helps strengthen properties against hurricanes, serving as a model for potential wildfire prevention efforts.
