“Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires.”

— CA Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara

October 20, 2022, Calabasas, CA — California will become the first state in the nation to require insurance premium discounts for owners of homes and businesses that are made safer from wildfires. The new rules mandate that insurance companies reward consumers who take wildfire safety and mitigation actions under the state’s Safer From Wildfires framework, the Department of Insurance announced Monday. The framework includes a list of expert-recommended actions that home and business owners can take to better protect themselves from fires.

“Home hardening is recommended by CalFire and insurance companies as one of the best ways to protect homes from fires and limit the spread of wildfires in a community,” explains EPIC-FSC President Brian Cameron. “That’s why we’ve partnered with the experts at CalFire and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains to help our Calabasas neighbors with a free property assessment inspection to harden homes against wildfires.”

The new insurance regulation is largely a response to skyrocketing insurance costs for residents in wildfire-prone areas. Members of EPIC-FSC have learned how to harden a home from CalFire experts and are ready to help their neighbors increase the likelihood of survival when a wildfire strikes. During one of the free assessments, a certified expert from the non-profit meets with local homeowners, sharing important info on retrofitting their property with ignition-resistant or noncombustible materials designed to protect against the threat of flying embers, direct flame contact, and radiant heat exposure.

To set up an interview with an EPIC-FSC member or to arrange to follow one of these experts as they tour a neighbor’s home, please contact EPIC.