IBHS and APCIA launch comprehensive new toolkit to help communities reduce wildfire risk

Science-based roadmap gives communities practical steps to reduce home ignition and limit neighborhood-level wildfire destruction

SACRAMENTO, Calif. and RICHBURG, S.C., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) today released a new resource to help local governments, fire services and other community organizations come together to implement coordinated wildfire mitigation programs in their communities. The Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Framework outlines how communities can organize, launch and sustain effective wildfire risk reduction efforts.

The Toolkit Provides:

• Step-by-step guidance to plan, design and launch a local wildfire risk reduction program.
  
  
• Science-based home mitigation standards, including structure hardening measures and defensible space requirements such as the 0–5 foot noncombustible safety zone.
  
  
• Assessment and training resources, including materials to train home assessors and support consistent property evaluations.
  
  
• Implementation tools and templates, such as program checklists, sample forms, funding considerations and administrative guidance.
  
  
• Outreach and coordination strategies to engage homeowners, local partners and supply chain providers.

"Communities are learning how to live with wildfire because in many areas it's no longer a distant threat — it's a reality," said Steve Hawks, senior director for wildfire at IBHS and retired assistant deputy director at CAL FIRE. "This toolkit provides a consistent, research-based program neighbors can implement in their communities to reduce the risk of home ignition and strengthen their neighborhoods, which also supports insurability."

Unlike other natural disasters, wildfire can intensify when it moves from the wildland into neighborhoods, turning a single home ignition into a chain reaction of structure-to-structure fire spread. This toolkit gives fire departments, local leaders and community organizations practical guidance to work together and reduce that risk. By strengthening homes and creating defensible space across entire neighborhoods, communities can significantly lower the chance of widespread destruction.

"Wildfire risk is not going away. We must adapt by reducing the likelihood that homes ignite from embers, flames and extreme heat," said Karen Collins, vice president of property & environmental at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. "Community‑wide action — led by local officials and supported by property owners — is essential to reducing losses and easing pressure on insurance markets as climate risks grow. This toolkit equips local leaders with science‑based actions and resources to help homeowners protect their homes and neighborhoods. When mitigation is implemented at scale, property owners benefit from improved survivability and insurability, and communities experience reduced reliance on disaster aid and stronger fiscal stability that protects local tax bases and real estate markets."

Communities interested in building or strengthening a local wildfire mitigation program can access the full Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Framework — including templates, guidance documents and implementation resources — at ibhs.org.

The framework has garnered strong support from leaders across the wildfire, fire services and insurance communities, who shared the following perspectives:

"There's no doubt that modifications to home structures and landscapes play a vital role in reducing homes' risk to wildfire ignition. However, making sure community residents learn about these efforts and their impact can prove challenging," said Michele Steinberg, the wildfire division director of the National Fire Protection Association. "That's why NFPA is proud to contribute its wildfire risk reduction information and messaging to the new Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Framework from IBHS. This toolkit serves as a great vehicle for getting critical wildfire risk reduction resources to the communities that can benefit from it the most."

"Community wildfire resilience is something we build together, one neighbor and one neighborhood at a time," stated California State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant. "This toolkit gives people the practical guidance and confidence to take meaningful action, whether that means hardening a single home or organizing a community-wide effort. When communities are informed, connected and prepared, we significantly reduce wildfire risk and create safer places for everyone across the state."

"As wildfire threats intensify nationwide, communities need clear, actionable guidance they can use today," said Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. "This toolkit delivers exactly that, evidence‑based strategies to strengthen home hardening, expand defensible space and support more resilient neighborhoods. Our collaboration with IBHS demonstrates the progress we can make when we unite science and community leadership to protect people and property."

"Across California, communities are working to reduce wildfire risk through defensible space, home hardening and coordinated local mitigation efforts," said Jessica Martinez, interim executive director of the California Fire Safe Council. "Tools that help translate wildfire science into practical resources can strengthen the work of local Fire Safe Councils, fire agencies and local community leaders who are advancing wildfire resilience on the ground."

"There's not enough fire engines to be at every structure during a wildfire, so residents must understand and do their part well before a wildfire starts," said Chief Jeremy Craft, the president of the Western Fire Chiefs Association. "This toolkit is a partnership among the fire service, insurance industry and the public to address wildfire structure threats well before a fire impacts a community."

"As we emerge from a winter of record warm temperatures and record low precipitation in many areas, the time is now to take action to prepare for the next wildfire," said Mark Novak, chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs - Wildland Fire Policy Committee. "The Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Framework provides an easy-to-follow guide that will make your home and community better prepared for the next wildfire."

"What's best about the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Framework is the way it brings together the best mitigation science with the most comprehensive, experience-based knowledge available about community and property-owner engagement," said Kenton Brine, the president of the NW Insurance Council. "Insurers have been 'leaning in' to wildfire risk reduction and promoting mitigation for more than a decade. Now, the APCIA/IBHS framework invites state and community-level organizations to access proven successful mitigation tools that prevent fire spread in the built community, save lives and structures and can help lead to more stable, accessible and affordable property insurance markets."

"The science behind wildfire mitigation clearly shows us what steps help protect our homes and neighborhoods, but where we need to do better is in working together to implement meaningful wildfire preparedness strategies that make homes safer and more insurable," said Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association. "This Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Framework and toolkit help homeowners better understand what they can do to prepare their homes and finances for wildfire risk." 

About the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

The IBHS mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss. Learn more about IBHS at ibhs.org.

About the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)

The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) is the primary national trade association for home, auto and business insurers. APCIA promotes and protects the viability of private competition for the benefit of consumers and insurers, with a legacy dating back 150 years. APCIA members represent all sizes, structures and regions—protecting families, communities and businesses in the U.S. and across the globe.

SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety