Coconino officials hear IBHS plan to lower wildfire-related home ignition risk; county and fire partners outline next steps

Coconino County supervisors heard a presentation from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety on wildfire-driven home ignitions and voluntary “Wildfire Prepared” standards, then discussed local steps — data collection, building-code updates and parcel-level outreach — that officials say could improve home survivability and make properties more attractive to insurers.

The presentation was delivered by Michael Newman, general counsel for IBHS, a research nonprofit funded by the property insurance industry. Newman told the Board that ‘‘we are in control of our own risk’’ at the county level, and outlined a set of parcel- and neighborhood-level actions IBHS has tested to reduce home ignition from embers, flames and radiant heat.

IBHS’s work focuses on three ignition mechanisms (embers, flames and radiant heat), Newman said, and research at the institute’s full-scale testing center shows embers — carried by wind — often ignite the small combustibles closest to a house. ‘‘It’s the 5 feet closest to the home that is most important,’’ Newman said, describing that zone as a critical defensible-space area.

Why this matters: county officials and residents say homeowners are seeing nonrenewal notices or steep premium increases. Supervisors said they want practical steps that local government and fire districts can use to lower risks that contribute to the insurance market’s reaction.

Details of IBHS recommendations and the Wildfire Prepared program

Newman described IBHS’s two-tier approach. Wildfire Prepared Home targets ember-resistant actions and retrofits that are typically achievable for existing houses (e.g., ember-resistant vents, minor window/soffit work and clearing the first 5 feet of combustibles). Wildfire Prepared Home Plus includes additional material and construction measures intended for protection against flames and radiant heat and can be easier to achieve in new construction.

Newman explained the voluntary…