New Headwaters Economics, IBHS study analyzes costs of wildfire-resistant construction in California

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Richburg, S.C., July 28, 2022 – The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and Headwaters Economics today released a study examining the cost of building more wildfire-resistant homes in California, which found vulnerable areas of the home can be mitigated for less than $3,000 during new construction. This analysis, Construction Costs for a Wildfire Resilient Home: California Edition, fills a gap in understanding wildfire-resistant construction costs and demonstrates the affordability of three wildfire resistant options as communities in California and across the West face a growing threat of home-ignition due to wildfire events.

Wind-Driven Building-to-Building Fire Spread

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Research The distance between structures and the density of housing in communities significantly impact how fires spread in areas where the wildland and urban environments meet (WUI). In high density neighborhoods during a severe wildfire, extreme burning conditions lead to a higher number of structures to burn. Once a few buildings ignite, a domino effect…