The State Framework
Safer from Wildfires: the mitigation your California insurer is required to credit.
California is the first state to force insurers to reward wildfire mitigation. Here are the three layers of qualifying actions — structure, surroundings, and community — and how each turns into a discount.
By FireReadyHome Editorial Team · Updated August 6, 2026 · 7–9 minute read
The first state to reward mitigation
In 2022 California's Insurance Commissioner, working with the state's emergency agencies, issued the Safer from Wildfires framework and — through the Department of Insurance regulation implemented via Insurance Bulletin 2022-08 — made California the first state to require insurers to give homeowners a discount for wildfire mitigation. The 2026 Insurance and Wildfire Safety Act further directed the department to keep the framework current with wildfire science. This is the backbone that the FAIR Plan discounts and the IBHS designation both build on.
The three layers of qualifying actions
| Layer | Qualifying actions | Deep guide |
|---|---|---|
| The structure | Class-A fire-rated roof; ember- and fire-resistant vents; noncombustible 6 inches at the base of exterior walls; double-pane windows or added shutters | Home hardening |
| Immediate surroundings | A 5-foot ember-resistant zone; cleared vegetation and debris under/around decks; combustible sheds and materials moved away; maintained defensible space | Zone 0 & defensible space |
| The community | Participation in a Firewise USA site or a Fire Risk Reduction Community | Firewise community |
Structure: the top-down actions
The structure layer targets how embers and heat attack the building itself:
- Class-A fire-rated roof — the single largest hardening element. See Class A roofing.
- Ember- and fire-resistant vents — the highest-impact-per-dollar item. See ember-resistant vents.
- Noncombustible 6 inches at the base of walls — a simple detail that stops ground-level flame from reaching siding.
- Double-pane windows or shutters — single-pane glass fails under radiant heat before flame contact. See windows.
Immediate surroundings: the first 100 feet
The surroundings layer is where Zone 0 and defensible space live — the 5-foot ember-resistant perimeter, clearance under decks, moving combustibles away from walls, and maintaining the 30-foot and 100-foot zones. These are also the lowest-cost credits to capture first.
Community: the layer you can't do alone
The third layer rewards neighborhood action through a Firewise USA or Fire Risk Reduction Community designation — recognized by admitted carriers and the FAIR Plan alike.
Turning the framework into a lower premium
- Ask for your wildfire risk score. Carriers must disclose your property's score and the steps that would improve it — start there.
- Complete and document the actions layer by layer, with dated photos and receipts.
- Submit and request every applicable credit. The credits are not automatic; you have to claim them.
- Consider the IBHS designation to package it all into a single verified credential — see Wildfire Prepared Home.
Sources: California Department of Insurance “Safer from Wildfires” regulation and framework; Insurance Bulletin 2022-08; Insurance and Wildfire Safety Act (AB 1). Specific credit amounts are set by individual insurers and may change — confirm current terms with your carrier. This is general information, not insurance advice.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Safer from Wildfires?
- Safer from Wildfires is a California framework, created by the Insurance Commissioner with state emergency agencies, that defines specific wildfire-mitigation actions in three layers — the structure, the immediate surroundings, and the community. California is the first state to require insurers to provide a discount for completing these actions, under the Department of Insurance regulation implemented through Insurance Bulletin 2022-08.
- What are the Safer from Wildfires actions?
- For the structure: a Class-A fire-rated roof, ember- and fire-resistant vents, a noncombustible 6 inches at the base of exterior walls, and double-pane windows (or added shutters). For the immediate surroundings: clearing vegetation and debris under and around decks, removing combustible sheds and materials near the home, maintaining defensible space, and keeping a 5-foot ember-resistant zone. For the community: participation in a Firewise USA site or a Fire Risk Reduction Community.
- Does every action get a discount?
- Yes — under the regulation, every action you complete qualifies you for a mitigation credit, applied to the wildfire portion of your premium. The size of each credit varies by insurer and by item, but carriers are required to recognize the actions and to disclose your property’s wildfire risk score and how to improve it.
- How is this different from the FAIR Plan discounts or IBHS?
- Safer from Wildfires is the statewide framework that all admitted insurers must honor. The FAIR Plan Hardening Discounts are that idea applied to the FAIR Plan specifically. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation is a third-party certification that packages many of the same actions into a single verified credential. The underlying work overlaps heavily, so doing it once supports all three.
- How do I claim Safer from Wildfires credits?
- Complete the actions, document each with dated photos and receipts, and provide that documentation to your insurer, requesting the applicable credits. You can also ask your insurer for your property’s wildfire risk score and the specific steps that would improve it, which they are required to provide.
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