New home certification for wildfire preparedness discussion set for Thursday, Aug. 21
By Hillary Larson for Ashland.news
With increasing risk of wildfires, homeowners are looking for ways to protect their property and maintain their insurance. The Wildfire Prepared Homes Program, developed by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), is the first science-based home designation for wildfire resilience and claims to do just that.
The city of Ashland and Ashland.news will host a free live webinar, “Making Our Homes More Survivable and Insurable Against Wildfire,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21. Two representatives from IBHS will explain how the program works, who qualifies, and how Oregonians can start the application process.
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For more information about Thursday’s webinar, click here.
“Ashland faces a hotter and drier future, and we need to be much better prepared to withstand wildfire,” says Ashland Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Mark Shay. “Our new Community Wildfire Protection Plan lays out a very thoughtful and proactive roadmap (to making Ashland a place) where fires happen without becoming disasters. The IBHS program’s scientific research and the Wildfire Prepared Home program are proven tools that address community safety and the insurance crisis.”
The city of Ashland stresses it’s more important than ever to be proactive and prepared when it comes to wildfire. This year, the city partnered with Ashland.news, Ashland Climate Collaborative, and Ashland Together to provide the Better Prepared Wildfire Series. The Aug. 21 webinar is a bonus addition to the series.
Recordings of previous programs from the series — including the RVTV filming of the standing-room-only July 16 “What’s Your Plan?” event at the Historic Ashland Armory — are available on the Ashland.news YouTube channel.
To learn more about the program series, visit the Better Prepared Wildfire Series homepage.
Registration is required to attend the Aug. 21 webinar. Register at Tinyurl.com/InsurableHomes, or email convene@ashland.news with questions.
Email Ashland.news board member and Ashland Together co-founder Hillary Larson at hillarylarson369@gmail.com.
