Defensible Space and insurance: IBHS & Firewise
The Spark: Wildfire Preparedness is Year-Round
Start with the first 5 feet.
This month's edition of The Spark bulletin delves into the Wildfire Prepared Homesprogram and how it could help you retain your insurance.
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The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Wildfire Prepared Home program is now in New Mexico, giving homeowners a pathway to reduce wildfire risk and to maintain their home insurance.
The Wildfire Prepared Home program certifies that your home meets specific standards for defensible space and home hardening. These include a five-foot zone of non-combustible material (no mulch, no shrubs, no trees or vegetation at all), a class-A roof, and other specifications. Residents document the work they've done and submit photos and information to IBHS, who will then send evaluators to ensure the work has been done.
Once the home has passed the inspection, a designation certificate will be issued that's good for three years.
In 2025, New Mexico aligned state home preparedness standards with IBHS criteria, and the Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) and State Fire Marshal's Office are now certified program inspectors.
Right now, the application fee for any New Mexico homeowner is just $25 (usually $125). FAIR Plan residents can also apply for OSI grants to help cover home hardening retrofit costs.
IBHS and Firewise USA
The IBHS program is not replacing Firewise USA -- they are complementary. Firewise organizes neighborhoods to address wildfire risk together through community boards, action plans, and shared collaboration. IBHS certification focuses on your individual structure and requires meeting specific standards.
Ultimately, both efforts are voluntary, and both seek to help you reduce the risk of home loss during a wildfire. Even better -- both efforts reinforce each other: if your neighborhood is already a Firewise community, you have taken significant steps toward IBHS designation.
No matter which path you pursue, remember, the end goal is protecting your home from wildfire. Your home can be ready. Start with the first five feet.
TAKE ACTION
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- Start your Wildfire Prepared Home application: wildfireprepared.org
- Start or join a Firewise USA community: Firewise USA / NFPA: nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa
- Learn about FAIR Plan grants for home hardening: NM Office of Superintendent of Insurance: osi.state.nm.us
- Find insurance resources and guidance: Fire Adapted New Mexico: facnm.org/home-insurance-and-wildfire
LEARN MORE
A house that survived the 2016 Cold Springs Fire. Photo courtesy Josh Schlossberg/Boulder Weekly.
