Governor Kotek Announces Wildfire Prepared Partnership

Today, Governor Kotek announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), launching a partnership to explore ways to build resilience within Oregon communities, encouraging adoption and implementation at the neighborhood scale.

“The 2024 wildfire season was an all-hands-on-deck effort to protect life, land, and property to the best of our ability,” Governor Kotek said. “We must apply the lessons learned from years past in our wildfire response and our recovery: prioritizing wildfire risk mitigation, readiness, response and coordination through a comprehensive, statewide approach.

“This initiative is a critical step for Oregon, supporting local communities as we continue to face the devastating impacts of the growing wildfire crisis. By bringing together essential partners, we are strengthening our efforts to protect Oregonians and their homes.”

IBHS, an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization supported by property insurers, reinsurers, and affiliated companies, has translated years of wildfire research into Wildfire Prepared, the first-ever wildfire mitigation designation program. This partnership unlocks the ability for IBHS and the OSFM to collaborate on community education, encourage behavior and actions to reduce risk, and advance science-informed policies that will reduce wildfire risk for Oregonians and communities.

“This is a watershed moment as we move to a different approach in protecting Oregonians and communities for the future. Wildfires are increasingly impacting communities across our state, making this an all-Oregonian issue. Partnerships like this are essential to building a paradigm shift to help all Oregonians be better prepared for wildfire,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said.

“This partnership reinforces the value of science-based wildfire mitigation strategies and the importance of recognizing those efforts in insurance decisions,” Oregon State Insurance Commissioner Andrew R. Stolfi said. “When consumers and the state invest in reducing wildfire risk, insurers – guided by data and science – should reflect that progress in rating and underwriting, helping to keep coverage available and affordable for Oregonians.”

Examples of future partnership opportunities include:

• Post-fire analysis following urban conflagration.
• Scientific advice about wildfire mitigation strategies at the parcel and neighborhood scales.
• Collaborate on incorporating wildfire science into actions communities can take, mitigation grant programs, and other wildfire resilience topics.
• Outline a stair-step progression of risk reduction for communities, starting with a baseline of Firewise USA recognition through the desired goal of achieving a Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood designation.

“Oregon is leaning in, implementing a scalable, research-based mitigation system that will bring greater wildfire resilience to neighborhoods across the state at risk to wildfire,” said Roy Wright, IBHS president and CEO. “The partnership put in place today will help ensure an imminently more resilient future; one with homes at both the parcel and neighborhood level that are survivable when wildfire approaches.”

IBHS partners with Oregon to apply its wildfire science through mitigation strategies, educational outreach, and post-fire analysis. Their collaboration with the OSFM helps integrate research into community action, grants, and resilience programs—supporting neighborhoods as they progress from the voluntary actions to receive Firewise USA recognition through additional levels of risk reduction to the goal of meeting the requirements to achieve a Wildfire Prepared designation.

A link to the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding can be found here.

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