Dangerous wildfire conditions have spread across the country, reaching deeper into hurricane-prone regions like Florida and the Gulf Coast as the weather grows hotter, drier, and windier.<\/p>\n
That expanding threat is reshaping how communities and insurers assess fire risk in places long defined by storm surge rather than flames.<\/p>\n
To address the threat, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety<\/strong>, a nonprofit supported by insurers and reinsurers, is extending its Wildfire Prepared program to Florida and nine other states. The program, first launched in 2022, will now be available in 14 states, up from four.<\/p>\n The program gives homeowners, builders and neighborhoods research-backed steps to build fire resilience and reduce risk. Third-party inspectors verify properties for one of two designations: Wildfire Prepared Home or Wildfire Prepared Home Plus. Standards focus on blocking wind-driven embers, limiting radiant heat and reducing direct flame exposure, and include a neighborhood designation to prevent structure-to-structure spread.<\/p>\n \u201cWildfire doesn\u2019t stop at a property line,\u201d IBHS CEO Roy Wright said in a statement announcing the expansion. \u201cOnce it enters a neighborhood, the built environment can either slow it down or help it spread.\u201d<\/p>\n Wright said the expansion reflects rising demand for proven mitigation in regions where fire was once seasonal or localized.<\/p>\n IBHS started with California, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon \u2013 states that rank among the highest for acreage burned. Last January, wildfires swept through the Los Angeles area, causing billions in damage. <\/p>\n The program now covers Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. They are also among the top states for acres burned annually, according to the Insurance Information Institute.<\/p>\n The L.A. fires drew major attention<\/a> because of the neighborhoods destroyed and the ongoing rebuilding effort. Still, National Centers for Environmental Information data<\/a> show total acres burned nationwide last year fell below the 7 million annual average.<\/p>\nRising wildfire risk across expansion states<\/h2>\n