Learn About Wildfire Risk Assessments

Getting a third-party assessment and certification can help verify mitigation work, improve insurance eligibility, and support property resale. Some programs offer certificates that insurers and real estate professionals recognize.

City of Boulder – Provides detailed assessments with recommendations aligned to IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standards. Track progress through Fire Aside software platform. Learn more.

Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS)– Offers statewide technical assistance and risk assessment tools for wildfire mitigation. Explore CSFS programs. Learn more.

REALFire® Home Assessment Program– Offers comprehensive assessments with reports and certificates recognized by insurers and real estate professionals. Learn more.

Wildfire Adapted Partnership (WAP)– Conducts free risk site assessments and provides mitigation incentives for Southwest Colorado. Learn more.

West Region Wildfire Council (WRWC)– Provides on-site risk assessments and written mitigation recommendations, often accepted by insurers. Learn more.

Wildfire Partners (Boulder County)– Delivers detailed assessments and issues a certificate upon mitigation completion, widely accepted by insurers. Learn more.

What Insurers Use to Measure Wildfire Risk — and Why It Matters

Insurance carriers rely on wildfire risk models to make underwriting decisions, set pricing, and determine whether a property qualifies for coverage at all. These tools are not uniform: different carriers use different models, and those models can produce very different outcomes for the same home.

Understanding how these tools work—and which ones a carrier relies on—can materially affect insurability, pricing, and appeal outcomes.

At a high level, wildfire models fall into two categories:
• Zone‑based models that emphasize location and surrounding conditions
• Property‑specific models that evaluate how an individual structure is built and maintained

The distinction matters.

Common Wildfire Risk Models Used by Insurers

Verisk FireLine®

FireLine is the longest‑standing and most widely used wildfire risk scoring tool in the industry. It assigns scores from 0 to 30 based on three primary inputs: surrounding vegetation (fuel), slope, and access for fire suppression.

FireLine is area‑based, not property‑specific. Two neighboring homes typically receive nearly identical scores regardless of differences in construction, roof type, or defensible space.

Because FireLine is embedded in the automated underwriting systems of many admitted carriers, it is often the first screen a submission encounters. Scores above certain thresholds—commonly 4 or higher—can trigger automatic declinations from standard markets, even when a home is well‑maintained.

CoreLogic Wildfire Risk Score

CoreLogic provides a comprehensive assessment that incorporates both hazard and property vulnerability. It evaluates proximity to high-risk vegetation, terrain slope, and historical fire frequency.

Unlike purely area-based tools, CoreLogic’s modeling allows for more granular differentiation between adjacent properties, though many insurers still use it as a secondary validation layer for high-value homes.

Zesty.AI Z–FIRE™

Z–FIRE is a property–specific model that uses computer vision and aerial imagery to evaluate structure-level risk. It specifically looks at features like roof material, overhanging trees, and the quality of defensible space within the 0–30 foot "Home Ignition Zone."

Carriers using Z–FIRE are more likely to offer "mitigation credits" because the model can actually see when a homeowner has cleared brush or upgraded to a Class A roof.

Munich Re Wildfire HD / Wildfire Risk Score

Munich Re’s HD model focuses on high-resolution probabilistic modeling. It simulates thousands of potential fire scenarios to determine the likelihood of a structure being reached by fire or embers.

This model is frequently used by reinsurance companies and specialty excess and surplus (E&S) lines to determine capacity and pricing in the most extreme wildfire zones.

Moody’s RMS North America Wildfire HD Model

The RMS model is a high-fidelity tool that captures the interplay between ember accumulation, smoke damage, and fire spread. It is designed to help insurers manage “accumulation risk”—the danger of losing many homes in a single catastrophic event.

Because of its complexity, it is often favored by carriers with sophisticated risk management departments looking for more than just a simple score.

IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home™ Standards

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) provides a science-based designation program. Homes that meet specific criteria for roof safety, vent protection, and non-combustible zones can earn a designation that is increasingly recognized by state regulators and private insurers.

Click here to download the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home™ Checklist.

Why Different Scores Can Lead to Different Outcomes

The divergence between risk models stems from the specific weight each algorithm assigns to environmental factors versus property-specific hardening. While one carrier might prioritize the slope and fuel density of the surrounding terrain, another focuses on the individual vulnerability of the home ignition zone.

This variability means that a single property can receive wildly different scores depending on which analytical tool an insurance carrier chooses to employ. Recognizing these differences is essential for homeowners looking to resolve insurance eligibility issues through targeted mitigation efforts.

Why Assessments and Certifications Matter

Effective July 1, 2026, Colorado law requires insurers to make wildfire risk scoring transparent and recognize mitigation efforts in pricing. Insurers must:

Disclose the wildfire risk score assigned to a property, the range of possible scores, and key factors influencing that score.
Incorporate mitigation efforts—such as home hardening and defensible space—into their risk models or offer premium discounts if these actions aren’t factored in.
Provide an appeals process for homeowners to challenge their wildfire risk score.
Publicly share information about available discounts and how to appeal scores.
Submit model details and mitigation discount information to the Colorado Division of Insurance for regulatory oversight.