The key to preventing wildfires from becoming disasters is to keep them from entering and spreading into the built environment. IBHS has identified key vulnerabilities for suburban neighborhoods and communities; these insights build on findings published by the fire protection community and the best experimental and field research to date.

The Suburban Wildfire Adaptation Roadmaps provide decision trees for homes and businesses that show the range of possibilities and what to avoid. When put into action by homeowners, business owners, and ultimately whole communities, the risk curve can be bent downward and limit the catastrophic reach of wildfires.

The Suburban Wildfire Adaptation Roadmaps inform the Wildfire Ready guides for homes and businesses. The guides provide details about projects homeowners and business owners/tenants can perform that will reduce their wildfire risk.

Expanding on the understanding of fire performance described in the Suburban Wildfire Adaptation Roadmaps, IBHS released Wildland Fire Embers and Flames: Home Mitigations That Matter, which supports a two-tiered application of these mitigations against embers and flames. This report discusses available literature on the vulnerability of each component of the home and supports the need for a systematic, all-inclusive application of mitigations for protection against wildfire.