Live-Fire Demonstration in Colorado to Show How Wildfire Preparation Can Help Protect Homes

RICHBURG, S.C., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- West Metro Fire Rescue in collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) will put wildfire science into action with a live-fire demonstration showing how actions taken before a wildfire can reduce a home's risk of ignition.

During the controlled demonstration, two structures with different levels of wildfire preparation will be exposed side-by-side to the same simulated wildfire conditions. One will incorporate a system of mitigation measures aligned with IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home standard. The other will demonstrate common vulnerabilities that can leave a home susceptible to wildfire. The side-by-side comparison will show how managing vegetation, eliminating combustible materials near the home and incorporating wildfire-resistant building features can help limit opportunities for embers, flames and radiant heat to ignite a home.

"Wildfire resilience is a community effort. No home faces fire in isolation," said IBHS CEO Roy Wright. "This demonstration makes the science visible. When homeowners across a neighborhood implement the full system of actions in Wildfire Prepared Home, they reduce the ways embers, flames and radiant heat can ignite their homes and, collectively, help interrupt the pathways that allow fire to spread from structure to structure."

"Preparedness starts before smoke is in the air," said West Metro Fire Rescue Chief Jeremy Metz. "Reducing vulnerabilities around the home before conditions change quickly can help reduce ignition risk and give firefighters a stronger chance to protect lives and property." 

The event will also offer a preview of a Markel Homes community being built to meet IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood standard. When the development completes the required verification and earns the designation, it will become Colorado's first Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood. The project shows how wildfire resilience can be incorporated at the neighborhood scale, where building materials, vegetation, spacing between homes and ongoing maintenance can influence opportunities for wildfire to spread through a community.

"This demonstration is about showing what preparation can look like before the next fire," said Jason Markel, Vice President of Markel Homes. "By building our newest community to IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood standard, we are showing that reducing wildfire risk can be part of a thoughtful community design without sacrificing the architectural character, curb appeal, and sense of place that people value. We want homeowners, builders and communities to see that resilient design can be both practical and visually appealing."

A preliminary analysis of costs for new builds in Colorado shows that wildfire-resilient building features add minimal costs. Compared with prevailing local construction practices across eight counties, construction costs increased by approximately 1.1% for homes built to Wildfire Prepared Home Essential. For Wildfire Prepared Home Enhanced, costs increased by 1.8% for homes without decks and 10.8% for homes with decks.

The benefits of reducing wildfire risk can extend beyond a home's physical resilience.

"Colorado's wildfire risk is a community safety and insurance issue," said Carole Walker, executive director, RMIA. "Homes built and maintained to IBHS's Wildfire Prepared Home standard provide insurers with credible verification that meaningful steps have been taken to reduce wildfire risk, which is a critical consideration in a challenging property insurance market."

To learn more about the Wildfire Prepared Home program and how to participate, visit wildfireprepared.org.

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 Wildfire Prepared Home

Wildfire Prepared Home is a science-based wildfire mitigation designation program. Based on the latest wildfire research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), it offers Colorado homeowners a path to take the system of science-based actions shown to meaningfully reduce a home's wildfire risk. Learn more at wildfireprepared.org.

About West Metro Fire Rescue

West Metro Fire Rescue (WMFR) is an ISO 1, internationally accredited, full-service, all-hazard, fire and rescue agency. We serve nearly 300,000 residents in the cities and towns of Lakewood, Morrison, Golden, Wheat Ridge and Edgewater. The district also serves sections of Jefferson and Douglas County and unincorporated Littleton, Colorado. WMFR is committed to providing professional fire protection, emergency medical services, life safety and community service with a vision that shapes the future. Visit us at www.westmetrofire.org.

About Rocky Mountain Insurance Association (RMIA)

RMIA is a non-profit consumer information organization that represents property & casualty insurers in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. RMIA has been serving consumers and the media since 1952. Learn more at rmiia.org.

About Jefferson County

Jefferson County encompasses 773 square miles along Colorado's Front Range, stretching from Denver to the east to Idaho Springs to the west. Known as the "Gateway to the Rockies," Jeffco is the fourth-most populous county in Colorado and ranks second in the state for wildfire risk. Approximately 91% of the county falls within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), placing communities, homes, infrastructure, and natural resources at significant risk from wildfire. The Jefferson County Wildland Fire Management Program works to reduce wildfire risk and protect the people, communities, and values of Jefferson County from the threat of catastrophic wildfire. Through strong collaboration and strategic investment, the program empowers partner agencies, community organizations, and residents to work together in building a more wildfire-resilient Jefferson County.

SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety