Fourteen – that’s the total number of states that will now have access to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s Wildfire Prepared designation program.

The research-based wildfire mitigation program brings science-based wildfire mitigation and third-party verification to more property owners in high-risk regions.

Homeowners can choose from two levels of the program.

Wildfire Prepared Home, which outlines essential actions to reduce risk from wind-driven embers, and Wildfire Prepared Home Plus, an enhanced level of protection against radiant heat and direct flame contact.

Homeowners who complete a set of science-based steps can earn the designation.

The program also includes Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood, which recognizes builders and communities working together to reduce home-to-home wildfire spread.

“Wildfire doesn’t stop at a property line,” says Roy Wright, president and CEO of IBHS. “Once it enters a neighborhood, the built environment can either slow it down or help it spread. What one homeowner, builder or community does directly affects the survivability of the structures around them. Expanding our Wildfire Prepared designation program allows more families and neighbors to take coordinated, science-based action to reduce risk and strengthen resilience.”

Established in 2022, Wildfire Prepared is built on the latest IBHS research examining how homes ignite during wildfire events and what mitigation measures most effectively interrupt structure-to-structure spread.

The program, which was previously available in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon, is now also available in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

“Wildfire resilience isn’t a single upgrade or a one-time checklist — it takes a set of mitigations to both the home and landscaping, along with ongoing maintenance,” says Steve Hawks, senior director for wildfire at IBHS. “When mitigation measures work together, they improve the chances a structure survives and help strengthen long-term insurability. Expanding Wildfire Prepared makes it easier for more homeowners, builders, and communities to implement that system and demonstrate that meaningful risk reduction has taken place.”