UL Research Institutes (ULRI) is a leading independent, non-profit safety science organization founded in 1894. Its mission is to investigate, identify, and counter risks to human safety, public health, and the environment through scientific research. What led up to the report California officially allowed property insurance companies to use forward-looking catastrophe risk models on December
Wildfire Risk Modeling Report Read Post »
Hidden Hills has successfully renewed its Firewise USA® status, and the certificate is valid until the end of 2027. Get Your Insurance Discount Today. In 2022, the California Department of Insurance enacted “Safer from Wildfires,” requiring insurance companies to recognize Firewise USA® designated communities by providing discounts to property owners in those communities. The Hidden Hills 2026-2027
2026-2027 Firewise Certificates Available For Download Read Post »
Watch Full Video Below On October 26, 2026, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and CalChiefs Fire Marshal Section held a live side-by-side burn demonstration to show how proven home and landscaping mitigation strategies will reduce home ignition and improve wildfire resilience. Constructed to mimic most of our homes Open eaves Vinyl
IBHS Side-By-Side Burn Read Post »
A firefighting plane dumps water on the Palisades fire on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo courtesy: Brian van den Burg/Los Angeles Times A sweeping new review of the January 2025 Los Angeles fires concludes that no single agency or decision explains the destruction. Instead, it describes a system that was never designed for fires like these.
A System Overwhelmed: Palisades and Eaton Fires Read Post »
Make September the Month You Get Your Mitigation Work Done. September marks Wildfire Prevention Month, positioned at the point in the calendar when much of the western United States is at peak fire risk — vegetation is at its driest, and fire activity historically remains high through early fall. The month is used by fire
September is Wildfire Prevention Month Read Post »
We strongly advise all residents to download and use the Watch Duty App. Watch Duty, the wildfire tracking and alert app, marks five years of operation this year, having launched in August 2021. In that time, it has grown from a single-county volunteer project into one of the most widely used wildfire information tools in
Watch Duty Turns Five Read Post »
Wildfire is shaping the CA Insurance Market. Stanford University Climate and Energy Policy Program has released a white paper that looks at the current home insurance crisis with origins like Prop 103 that goes back as far 1988. Proposition 103, although enacted to manage a surge in the auto insurance premiums, established a statutory framework
Stanford University 2026 Insurance Market Report Read Post »
If huge organizations can’t control a wildfire, how can I control a wildfire? It’s not a matter of controlling a wildfire; it’s a matter of changing the conditions of the house. Getting an assessment is what all homeowners can do. – Jack Cohen Ph.D Your Home Can Survive a Wildfire Jack Cohen, Ph.D., is often
It doesn’t take big flames to burn the house down Read Post »
Finally, good news about home insurance. Zurich US has submitted a commercial property insurance rate filing under California’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy. It is one of the first large commercial carriers to join the state’s effort to stabilize its insurance market. The strategy was created by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. It is designed to expand the availability of
Insurance Companies Are Coming Back Read Post »
Standing-room-only workshop highlighted the urgent need for community action.Since the event three weeks ago, we have experienced two local wildfires. Six Educational Panels Promoted Wildfire Mitigation Education On May 9th, 2026, at the Calabasas Community Center, about 150 regional Firewise community leaders and industry stakeholders, including volunteers from EPIC-FSC (Emergency Preparedness in Calabasas – A
Regional Firewise Leader Workshop Read Post »
If you missed the April 23, 2026, Zone Zero Board of Forestry and Fire Protection update, Yana Valachovic, UC ANR Fire Network – Community Resiliency and Built Environment, gives us a recorded comprehensive breakdown and summary of the Draft Regulations by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, that was presented at a Firewise Leader
Zone Zero Update Explained Read Post »
In trying to reflect on the Simi Valley Sandy Fire, we could think of nothing better than to publish, with permission, a letter sent to us by Debbie Bernard, the Firewise Leader for The Woodlands Firewise Community. Our HOA, The Woodlands in Simi Valley, was battle tested this past week with the Sandy fire. Fire
Sandy Fire: Report From My Backyard Read Post »
