Wildfires & Home Insurance: Preparing for a Growing Risk on the West Coast
Wildfire season is no longer confined to a few dry months; it’s become a year-round reality for homeowners and insurers. With shifting climate conditions and communities expanding deeper into high-risk zones, carriers are under increasing pressure to adapt underwriting and risk-prevention strategies.
Why Wildfires Are a Growing Concern for Property Insurers
- 2024 saw record-breaking wildfire activity in parts of California and the Pacific Northwest
- Expanding wildland-urban interface (WUI) zones are creating new underwriting blind spots for properties once considered “safe”
- Traditional inspection methods struggle to keep up with dynamic risk factors like vegetation density, roofing conditions, and nearby flammable structures
The Challenge for Carriers & MGAs
Wildfire risk isn’t just about location; it’s also about property preparedness and surrounding environmental factors.
Key questions insurers should be asking:
- Is there adequate defensible space around the home?
- Is the roofing material fire-resistant?
- Are flammable materials (propane tanks, firewood, etc.) stored too close to the structure?
- Are trees or brush overgrown or encroaching on the structure?
The problem? Most 4-point inspections miss these details, especially without wildfire-specific criteria.
How Chrp Can Help
Chrp’s AI-enabled photo analysis empowers underwriters with scalable, near-real-time risk detection. While it’s not a replacement for fire department evaluations or code inspections, it adds critical wildfire-specific insights:
- Flags visual wildfire risk indicators (ex, vegetation proximity, flammable material storage, roofing condition)
- Identifies patterns missed in traditional inspections
- Delivers risk analysis in under 60 seconds
- Operates with 99.9% accuracy in identifying predefined property risk conditions
Note: Chrp’s analysis is based on visual data. It does not provide regulatory or code compliance verification.
What’s Next?
As Chrp wraps pilot programs with wildfire-exposed carriers in California and Canada, we’ll share follow-up insights on:
- Observed wildfire risk trends
- Chrp’s performance in wildfire-prone environments
- Data-driven guidance to support smarter underwriting decisions
If you’re a carrier preparing for heightened wildfire activity, Chrp’s technology is here to help reduce risk, fast-track analysis, and support smarter underwriting decisions.
Let’s Talk Wildfire Risk Prevention
Carriers preparing for heightened wildfire activity can’t afford blind spots. Chrp is here to help you:
- Reduce risk
- Fast-track analysis
- Support smarter underwriting decisions
Book time with our team to explore how Chrp helps protect your book of business from climate-driven threats, one property at a time.
