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Wildfire Partner Program

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Home Ignition Zone Guide

A guide to preparing your home for wildfire resiliency

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Wildfire home ignition assessments, inspections, mitigation resources, or speakers

The Wildfire Partner Program is coordinated by Raina Eshleman, and was established in 2023 as a part of the Emergency Services Division of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. 

The guiding mission of the Wildfire Partner Program is to promote active shared engagement with our citizens to increase wildfire resiliency, both before and after wildfire events. Wildfire Partners cultivates a neighbors-helping-neighbors approach to prepare homes, properties, roadways, homeowners associations, and businesses by reducing risk. We seek to promote wildfire resiliency, and the potential for lives, livelihoods, homes, and properties to resist, survive, and thrive following a wildfire event. 

In service of this mission, Wildfire Partners provides tools, training, and support for local fire districts and departments to offer comprehensive Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Assessments to residents free of charge.

These assessments are an educational experience for homeowners and business owners, based on national standard best practices, and are tailored to each unique property. Our goal is to empower property owners to take strategic action to make their homes, businesses, and vital roadways more wildfire-resilient, before a wildfire strikes. The Wildfire Partner Program also supports a wide variety of initiatives including community member-led wildfire mitigation efforts, grant funding coordination, promotion of local resource hubs, Wildfire Safety Inspections required for certain building permits, and more.

FAQs

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  1. What is the difference between a Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Assessment and a Wildfire Safety Inspection?

    Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Assessments are voluntary, optional education for property owners, and while we encourage action to be taken following the assessment recommendations, mitigation is not required or mandated by the Wildfire Partners Program.

    Wildfire Safety Inspections are only conducted as part of a county permitting process for the Building, Planning, Zoning, or Utilities Departments. Compliance with mitigation requirements during an inspection for permitting is mandatory in order to receive a permit.

     

  2. What happens during a Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Assessment?

    Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Assessments are voluntary, optional education for property owners, and while we encourage action to be taken following the assessment recommendations, mitigation is not required or mandated by the Wildfire Partners Program.

    Assessments last approximately one hour, are scheduled at a time and day that is convenient for both the property owner and the Wildfire Partners Ambassador, and a standard "Hold Harmless/Right of Entry" waiver will be signed prior to the assessment. It is most beneficial when the property owner is present, and can engage with the Ambassador actively while touring the property together. 

    The goal of these free assessments is property owner empowerment through education, and the fostering of a neighbors-helping-neighbors approach to wildfire resiliency.

    Also included with each Home Ignition Zone Assessment are valuable wildfire preparedness resources, such as our “Before the Fire Facts Homeowner's Insurance Conversation Guide,” home inventory for Insurance guide, wildfire mitigation tax credit form, fire-resistant plants guide, and wildfire mitigation vendors for hire list.

    Click this link to view our flyer and learn more.  

  3. What happens during a Wildfire Safety Inspection?

    Wildfire Safety Inspections are only conducted as part of a county permitting process for the Building, Planning, Zoning, or Utilities Departments. Compliance with mitigation requirements during an inspection for permitting is mandatory in order to receive a permit.

    The most common cases when a Wildfire Safety Inspection might be required include new construction, significant additions to existing construction, and conversion of a home to a short-term rental.

    After receiving the request to review a permit application from the Building, Planning, Zoning, or Utilities Department, the Inspector will decide if the application qualifies for an inspection. If so, the inspector will send the property representative an email stating the day and time that the inspection has been scheduled, including a guidebook to prepare for successful inspection, and directions to provide access to the property through locked gates or other barriers. As long as access to the property is open, it is not required that the property representative be present for the brief, outdoor  assessment, unless they prefer to be. The inspector will document inspection findings with photos and notes, mark the inspection either PASS, FAIL, or the most common, PASS PENDING REQUIRING MINOR CORRECTIONS. The inspector's report will clearly detail the next steps required to achieve a passing score, and will then submit the report to the property representative and the appropriate permitting department for record management. 

  4. Do you send the home assessment report to my insurance company?

    NO. Home Ignition Zone Assessment Reports are not shared with any insurance company, the general public, or unaffiliated 3rd party unless the homeowner chooses to share their own report. The results of the assessment are for the property owners to do with as they see fit. 

  5. Are there different assessment levels based on what work I need done?

    Wildfire Home Ignition Zone Assessments are available at the bronze, silver, and gold levels. The Wildfire Partner Program and all ambassador groups operate at the silver level as the standard starting point for homeowner requests. If the ambassador learns from the homeowner that they are facing insurance challenges, and agrees to mitigate all items on the silver level report, the ambassador will work with the Wildfire Partner Program Coordinator for a gold level follow up assessment. 

    • Bronze Level Assessment – The DIY approach, in which the  homeowners use a pre-made checklist or brochure from a recognized  source to familiarize themselves with the basic concepts of wildfire  resiliency and assess their home on their own.  
    • Silver Level Assessment - The county-wide standard includes a  scheduled, one-hour property visit from a Wildfire Partner Program  trained ambassador. The homeowner will have the opportunity to learn  interactively as their ambassador evaluates both the building structures  and the vegetation based on national standard best practices for reducing  wildfire risk. The ambassador will produce a personalized,  comprehensive report with easy-to-follow recommendations and photos  to guide the homeowner toward prioritized actions they could take to  protect their homes and increase the potential for buildings to resist a  wildfire. Silver level recommendations are simply educational, not  required, the homeowner decides if they want to act based on their Silver  Level Assessment report.
    • Gold Level Assessment – The Gold Level Assessment is intended for homeowners facing the loss of their homeowner’s insurance coverage due to wildfire risk. The Gold Level assessment differs from the Silver  Level Assessment in that interventions which were simply  recommendations at the Silver Level become required to receive a Gold  Level Certification Letter. Upon receiving the letter, homeowners can  choose to share it with insurance companies, verifying that their home is  compliant with Larimer County wildfire safety standards. While the Gold  Level Certification Letter does not guarantee insurance coverage, it can  improve the homeowner’s chances of securing insurance.  

     

  6. What if I need help completing mitigation work on my home?

    Included with each Home Ignition Zone Assessment Report is a "Wildfire Mitigation Vendors for Hire Resource List." While Wildfire Partners are not permitted by law to recommend any particular vendor over another, the vendors on the resource list have expressed interest in being part of the program, have received an orientation, and completed a survey detailing the scope of services they provide, and in what areas of Larimer County they work. You can view the list of wildfire mitigation vendors here.

  7. Are there any resources for financial assistance with mitigation?

    There are a variety of resources available that homeowners can apply for to assist with mitigation. Here are a few:

  8. Looking for additional resources?