On August 21, 2025, learn about a new home certification program being offered by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) that aims to make our homes and communities survivable and insurable by reducing wildfire risk.
It’s more important than ever to be proactive and prepared when it comes to wildfire. We're excited to present a BONUS PROGRAM that is part of the Better Prepared Wildfire Series, a unique opportunity to gain the skills and strategies to safeguard your home, loved ones and the community.
This series has been a successful collaboration between Ashland.news, Ashland Climate Collaborative, Ashland Together and the City of Ashland. We are working together to help you Take Action now and build resilience before disaster strikes!
Ashland’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), set for a City Council vote on August 19, 2025, aims for 90% of homes to meet comparable standards—or earn “Wildfire Prepared Home Certification”—within 10 years. This ambitious goal reflects lessons learned from devastating wildfires nationwide. Learn more.
Wildfire conflagrations have resulted in significant human, property and financial loss across the United States. The Tubbs Fire (CA, 2017), Camp Fire (CA, 2018), Almeda Fire (OR, 2020), Marshall Fire (CO, 2021), Lahaina Fire (HI, 2023), and the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires highlight the vulnerability of communities with dense housing, interconnected urban fuels (e.g., vegetation, fences, vehicles and sheds), and vulnerable building materials that struggle to withstand even non-intense fire conditions. In this context, the only path forward is to make homes and communities survivable and insurable through wildfire risk reduction.
In May 2025, Governor Tina Kotek announced a wildfire preparedness partnership between the Oregon State Fire Marshal and IBHS. The initiative seeks to help communities build resilience through enhanced wildfire preparedness efforts. Learn more.
Join staff from the IBHS on August 21, 2025, for a live Webinar introducing the Wildfire Prepared Homes Program—the first-ever science-based home designation for wildfire resilience. This session will explain how the program works, who qualifies and how Oregon residents can begin the application process.
You will also hear about the Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood Program, currently in development, which aims to scale risk reduction across entire communities. A staff scientist from IBHS will be available to answer technical questions related to home hardening standards and wildfire-resistant construction practices.
“Ashland faces a hotter and drier future, and we need to be much better prepared to withstand wildfire. Our new CWPP lays out a very thoughtful and proactive roadmap to a place where fires happen without becoming disasters. The IBHS program’s scientific research and the Wildfire Prepared Home program are proven tools that address community safety and the insurance crisis.” –Ashland Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Mark Shay.
About IBHS:
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization supported by property insurers, reinsurers and affiliated companies. IBHS’s building safety research leads to real-world solutions for home and business owners, helping to create more resilient communities. IBHS delivers top-tier science and translates it into action so we can prevent avoidable suffering, strengthen our homes and businesses, inform the insurance industry, and support thriving communities.
Let’s get prepared, Ashland! We are Better Together. Join us for this free, informative webinar. Registration is OPEN. Information on the Better Prepared Series, including recordings of past events, at ashlandoregon.gov/BetterPreparedSeries.
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