The risk of wildfires remains a pressing concern. Being Safer from Wildfires can help with your insurance!

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As the state grapples with persistently high temperatures this summer, the risk of wildfires remains a pressing concern. Commissioner Lara's first-in-the-nation Safer from Wildfires regulations offer a multi-tiered strategy for bolstering wildfire resilience. The initiative comprises 10 comprehensive actions distributed across three layers of protection: structural measures, immediate vicinity safeguards, and community-wide strategies.

Here are three high-impact, cost-effective steps that can be taken immediately:

• Keep embers out: Installing 1/16 to 1/8 inch noncombustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh screens over attic vents can keep wind-blown embers out of your house.
• Clear the first 5 feet: Removing greenery and replacing wood chips with stone or decomposed granite 5 feet around your home prevents fire from getting a foot in the door.
• Be safer together: With Firewise USA, communities as small as 8 dwelling units or as big as 2,500 can create an action plan and start being safer together. Firewise USA is a nationally recognized program with proven results, sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Association.

The more you do, the more you can protect and possibly save on insurance coverage. The Department is continuing its review of insurance company discounts to make them available as soon as possible – and recently approved insurance discounts for the FAIR Plan. If you are a FAIR Plan policyholder, contact your agent or broker to learn how to qualify for Safer from Wildfires.

Remember, the more you do, the more you can protect and possibly save on insurance coverage. Safer from Wildfires is a ground-up approach to wildfire resilience with three layers of protection — for the structure, the immediate surroundings, and the community. Every action under Safer from Wildfires will qualify you for an insurance discount. Learn more at: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/Safer-from-Wildfires.cfm