Wireless Wednesday Live: Tech and tips for wildfires

Learn How to Prepare Your Home and Finances for Wildfires; Hear Science-backed Action Steps to Help Prevent Ember Ignition and Why It’s Important to Contact Your Insurer to Make Sure You Have the Right Coverage

Rick is joined by:

Karen Collins; Vice President at American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)

Anne D. Cope, PhD, P.E., Chief Engineer at Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

Have a listen:

Wildfire risk is increasing due to several factors, such as more homes and communities in wildfire-prone areas and changing environmental conditions that result in wildfires igniting more easily, spreading more rapidly, and burning more intensely. A new 2025 report by Cotality says nearly 2.6 million homes in the western U.S. face moderate or greater wildfire risk with a combined reconstruction cost value of $1.3 trillion. The massive January wildfires in Los Angeles County are the latest example of how conflagration can severely devastate communities.  The Eaton and Palisades wildfires damaged or destroyed 18,298 structures and tragically killed 30 people making it the costliest insured wildfire loss event in U.S. history.  

As a result, large urban conflagration fires are occurring in more states, for example the 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon, 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado and 2023 Lahaina Fire in Maui. These massive fires ignited and spread because these dangerous factors came together: dry conditions, high winds, along with flammable materials and vegetation near structures. Over the last five years, inflation has increased the cost of repairing and rebuilding homes. Construction labor has increased 36 percent and building materials are up 42 percent (source: APCIA Analysis of US Bureau of Labor Statistics data). It is more important than ever to call your agent or broker to complete an insurance checkup.  Make sure you have enough coverage to rebuild your home.   

While wildfire has become a year-round threat, there are research-based actions to reduce the chance your home ignites during a wildfire. Taking a system of research-based actions can mitigate the most vulnerable areas of the home to meaningfully reduce the risk of ember ignition

.

What to do:

Have a noncombustible 5-foot zone around your home. The good news is that you do not have to compromise curb appeal! Top landscape pavers or river stones with ceramic flowerpots or planters that can easily be moved indoors during Red Flag Warnings for a beautiful landscape that also acts as a fire-resistant buffer.

A wildfire prepared home includes: a Class A fire-rated roof, ember resistant vents, gutters free of debris and the last six inches of vertical space on exterior walls made from noncombustible material. 

Call your agent to update your insurance and ensure your finances are protected.

Make a home inventory to account for your property and valuables.

Anne Cope, IBHS chief engineer will provide critical research-based guidance on what to do in the five feet around your home to help prevent it from catching fire during a wildfire as embers can travel miles ahead of the fire front. Karen Collins and Michael Richmond-Crum, property insurance and natural disaster experts at American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) will be available to discuss tips on preparing your finances for wildfires that you can use as well as share with friends and family.

Topics:

Karen, how can you prevent underinsurance and ensure your finances are protected before a wildfire?

Anne, what are the key steps to make your home more resistant to embers igniting and burning your home?

Karen, why is it important to contact your insurer about your coverage prior to a natural disaster?

Anne, how should homeowners and renters change their landscaping and fencing so homes do not catch fire when embers are flying?

Anne, what are ways to add curb appeal to your home but also prepare against wildfire?

Karen, how do you create a home inventory to make recovery easier?

Where can our viewers go for more information?

For more information please visit: www.ibhs.org/wildfireready and www.apci.org/wildfire

Karen Collins serves as Vice President, Property & Environmental in the Policy, Research, and International Division for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA). APCIA is the largest property and casualty insurance trade association with over 1,200 member companies nationwide. APCIA’s members write nearly 60 percent of the property and casualty insurance in the U.S. Karen provides thought leadership on property and catastrophe issues, with emphasis on risk mitigation and resilience to natural catastrophes such as flood, hurricane, and wildfire. She provides policy expertise on legislative and regulatory issues at the state, federal and international level, on behalf of the trade association and its membership. Prior to joining APCIA, Karen acquired 20 years of insurance experience with several major insurance carriers, in varying roles and responsibilities spanning Product, Sales, I.T.

Dr. Anne Cope joined IBHS in 2009 just a few months before the groundbreaking for the construction of the IBHS Research Center in Richburg, South Carolina. As the Chief Engineer, she leads the development of research programs to improve the performance of structures in hurricanes, wildfires, severe thunderstorms, and hailstorms as well as the team of engineers, scientists, and skilled craftsman who conduct research on full-scale homes and commercial buildings. She is responsible for the team’s implementation of research findings into building codes and standards. Prior to joining IBHS, Dr. Cope was a project manager and structural engineer with Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc., designing projects for NASA, Department of Defense, and commercial launch operations. Dr. Cope’s research encompasses topics ranging from the full-scale simulation of wind effects on buildings to detailed studies of the vulnerabilities of buildings to natural hazards and the development of damage prediction models. She is also a proud veteran of the United States Army.