In this information-packed episode, host Kurt Thoennessen and certified wildfire mitigation specialist, Mike Thayer provides invaluable insights on wildfire risks and prevention strategies. As wildfires continue to rise in severity across the Western U.S., homeowners must get prepared.

Key topics discussed:

• The role of wind events in driving large, fast-moving wildfires that rapidly spread
• How extended drought and historical fire suppression have built up fuel loads, contributing to more severe fires
• Why ember intrusion, not walls of flames, cause most home ignitions - defensible space is critical
• New standards like the zero to five foot “non-combustible zone” being mandated in CA by 2025 to protect homes
• The wildland urban interface expansion in western states lacking CA’s wildfire building codes
• The impacts of insurance availability and modeling on admitted/non-admitted markets
• The value of wildfire risk education for homeowners that explains the “why” behind mitigations
• Specific home hardening measures (ember-resistant vents, gutter guards, etc.) that make homes insurable

As Mike emphasizes, wildfire readiness education and prevention work must expand outside California to other wildfire-prone states. All homeowners with natural vegetation exposure should proactively mitigate now, before threats grow. Advanced preparation is key to saving homes and making them insurable.

Resources:

1. The ibhs website/standards that Mike mentions explains the "why" behind wildfire mitigation recommendations through videos and other content.  - https://ibhs.org/wildfireready/
2. The ArcGIS product showing expansion of homes in the wildland urban interface, with percentage increases by state from 2007-2020. Allows visual hovering over states. - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6b2050a0ded0498c863ce30d73460c9e
3. This is an article Mike Thayer read about potential "doomsday" scenarios if a major non-admitted carrier wildfire loss occurred, and the impacts that could have. - https://www.kqed.org/science/1985175/insurance-in-california-is-changing-heres-how-it-may-affect-you
4. The updated CalFire wildfire hazard severity zone maps that recently came out, designating more high risk WUI areas. - https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents. 
5. All Things Wildfire Podcast - https://allthingswildfire.com/
6. Wildfire Prepared Website - https://wildfireprepared.org/

Mike Thayer's linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-thayer-wms/