The SHB 1539 study and recommendations must include:
- Coordination and alignment of state and Department of Natural Resources’ wildfire property mitigation standards with nationally recognized, science-based wildfire mitigation standards;
- Enhancement of wildfire mitigation at the community level;
- Data sharing between state agencies and the insurance industry to address wildfire mitigation gaps and best practices;
- Improvements to consumer transparency related to wildfire hazard and risk; and
- Establishment of a grant program to help residential properties resist wildfire loss.
The recommendations are due to the Legislature by December 1, 2025.
Work group meeting agendas, materials, and recordings
July 1, 2025 meeting
- Time: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Benefits of mitigation and introduction to Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety wildfire mitigation science
- Dr. Lars Powell, Director, Center for Risk and Insurance Research, Culverhouse College of Business, University of Alabama
- Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
- Agenda for July 1 meeting (PDF 154.94KB)
- Recording for July 1 meeting
- Dr. Lars Powell presentation (PDF 9.07MB)
- Steve Hawks presentation (PDF 17.92MB)
- Stream the July 1 meeting on TVW
July 8, 2025 meeting
- Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Addressing Department of Natural Resources' existing wildfire property mitigation standards and additional wildfire mitigation efforts at the community level
- Guy Gifford, Assistant Division Manager, Community Resilience Program, Department of Natural Resource
- Megan Fitzgerald, McGowan- Program Manager, Firewise USA, National Fire Protection Association
- Keegan Fengler, Program Manager, Washington Fire Adapted Communities
- Reese Lolley, Strategy and Partnerships Director, Washington Resource Conservation and Development Council
- Keegan Fengler and Reese Lolley presentation (PDF 4.29MB)
- Megan Fitzgerald presentation (PDF 8.41MB)
- Guy Gifford presentation (PDF 13.45MB)
- Recording for July 8 meeting
- Stream the July 8 meeting on TVW
July 15, 2025 meeting
- Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Wildfire risk scores as used by the insurance industry
- Steve Brooks, Executive Director, Washington Association of Fire Chiefs
- Karen Collins, Vice President, Property & Environment, American Property Casualty Insurance Association
- Firas Saleh, Director of Product Management, Moody’s RMS
- JulieAnna Anastassatos, Vice President, Wildfire, Verisk
- Bryan Rehor, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Zesty.ai
- Please register in advance
- Stream the July 15 meeting on TVW
July 22, 2025 meeting
- Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Data sharing with state agencies and wildfire risk assessment
- Joanne Pearson, State Geographic Information Officer, Washington Technology Solutions
- Matthew Dehr, Lead Wildfire Meteorologist, Department of Natural Resources
- Shelby Flanagan and Michelle Fredrickson, Spatial Epidemiologists, Department of Health
- Frank Frievalt, Director, Wildland-Urban Interface FIRE Institute, California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo
- Please register in advance
- Stream the July 22 meeting on TVW
July 29, 2025 meeting
- Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Developing a wildfire mitigation grant program for residential properties
- Steve Crowder, Mayor, Town of Paradise, California
- Kimiko Barrett, Sr. Wildfire Research & Policy, Headwaters Economics
- Chief Frank Bigelow, Deputy Director, Community Wildfire & Preparedness & Mitigation, CAL FIRE
- Brian Powell, Catastrophe Risk Resilience Specialist, Center for Insurance Policy and Research
- Please register in advance
- Stream the July 29 meeting on TVW
October 2025 meeting to be determined.
Materials
Community wildfire resilience resources
- Department of Natural Resources wildfire ready neighbors program
- Fire adapted communities learning network's guide to demystifying insurance with a focus on wildfire losses
- Community wildfire protection plans
- Washington's 10-year wildland fire protection strategic plan
- Wildfire ready neighbors overview video
International Association of Fire Chiefs
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) mitigation results
- 2024 Texas A&M Windstorm Market Incentives Study – Resilient Structures Final Report
- Performance of IBHS Fortified HomeTM construction in hurricane sally (PDF 5.55MB)
Studies on cost to retrofit homes to be wildfire-resistant
- Construction costs for a wildfire-resistance home
- The cost of retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance
- Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
Wildfire mitigation
- National Institute of Standards and Technology - Fire Hazard Mitigation Methodology (PDF 15.10MB)
- IBHS wildfire prepared home technical standards (PDF 6.42MB)
- IBHS brochure (PDF 1.59MB)
- IBHS video on how embers ignite a home
- Guide to retrofitting a home for wildfire protection
- Sustainable Defensible Space guidance
- Firewise USA recognition program (PDF 828.39KB)
Wildland Urban Interface Code
Questionnaires and surveys
Questionnaire one - initial work group survey
- Review questionnaire one (PDF 65.70KB)
- Take questionnaire one
- Responses from questionnaire one (XLSX 34.99KB)
- Summary from questionnaire one (PDF 136.04KB)
Questionnaire two - July 1 meeting follow up survey
- Review questionnaire two (PDF 142.88KB)
- Take questionnaire two
- Responses from questionnaire two (XLSX 23.84KB)
- Summary from questionnaire two and July 1 meeting (PDF 129.00KB)
Questionnaire three - July 8 meeting
Comments
- To submit comments or questions contact Policy and Legislative Affairs.
Members and participants
| Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Patty Kuderer | Commissioner | Office of the Insurance Commissioner |
| Dave Upthegrove | Commissioner | Department of Natural Resources |
| Bryon Welch | Deputy Commissioner | Office of the Insurance Commissioner Designee |
| Robyn Whitney | Strategic Advisor to the State Forester | Department of Natural Resources Designee |
| Michael Newman | General Counsel | Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety |
| Steve Brooks | Executive Director | Washington Association of Fire Chiefs |
| Brian Allen | Chief Risk Officer | Grange Insurance Association, Insurance Industry |
| Kenton Brine | President | Northwest Insurance Council, Insurance Industry |
| Shannon Marbet | Director | AAA Washington, Insurance Industry |
| Coron Polley | Agency Partner | The VIP Agency Chelan, LLC, Insurance Industry |
| Chandra Fox | Deputy Director | Spokane County Emergency Management |
| Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Shelly Short | Senator | Senate Republican member |
| Andrew Engell | Representative | House Republican member |
| Rebecca Saldaña | Senator | Senate Democratic member |
| Kristine Reeves | Representative | House Democratic member |
| JulieAnna Anastassatos | Vice President of Wildfire | Verisk Underwriting Solutions |
| Angela Bishop | Owner | Bishop Design PLLC, Washington Rural Landowner |
| Korrie Bourn | Agency Principal | The VIP Agency Winthrop |
| Jennifer Coe | Forest Health & Community Wildfire Resilience Coordinator | Washington State Conservation Commission |
| Tim Cook | State Hazard Mitigation Officer | Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division |
| Tony Craven | Member | Washington Farm Forestry Association, Small Forest Landowner |
| Lance Dahl | Deputy Fire Chief | City of Spokane, Washington State Association of Fire Marshals |
| Michael DeLong | Research and Advocacy Associate | Consumer Federation of America |
| Mark Donnell | Fire Commissioner | Chelan Fire & Rescue, Washington Fire Commissioners Association |
| Angela Doss | Senior Director State Government Relations | Nationwide Insurance |
| Melissa Gannie | Assistant State Fire Marshal | State Fire Marshal Office |
| Ron Gibbs | Insurance and Risk Management Manager | Chelan County Public Utility District, Public Owned Utility |
| Johnathan Goldsmith | Deputy Building Official | City of Spokane, Washington Association of Building Officials |
| Steve Hawks | Senior Director for Wildfire | Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety |
| Jon Hedegard | Legislative and Regulatory Counsel | Allstate Insurance |
| Mary Hull-Drury | Government Affairs Director | Washington REALTORS®, Real Estate Industry |
| Elizabeth King | Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Director | Department of Commerce |
| Hilary Lundgren | Program Officer | Resources Legacy Fund, Non-Governmental Organization |
| Vern Malensky | Director of Electrical Engineering | Avista Corporation, Investor-Owned Utility Representative |
| Kurt Morgan | AVP & Chief Risk Officer | Capital Insurance Group |
| Tim Onken | P&C Analyst | State Farm Insurance |
| Reggie Peone Jr. | Emergency Manager | Spokane Tribes of Indians |
| Brian Quill | Emergency Management Coordinator | Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation |
| Blake Rowland | Property Product Manager and Wildfire risk management lead | Progressive Insurance |
| Brent Schmitten | President | Mitchell, Reed, & Schmitten Insurance, Inc |
| Mark Sektan | Vice President | American Property Casualty Insurance Association |
| Andrea Smiley | Legislative Director | Building Industry Association of Washington |
| Melanie Thurlow | Senior Public Affairs Officer | Liberty Mutual Insurance |