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.
Nature of the beast: examining climate adaptation options in forests with stand-replacing fire regimesThe 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
- Karen Collins, Vice President, Property & Environment, American Property Casualty Insurance Association
- JulieAnna Anastassatos, Vice President, Wildfire, Verisk
- Firas Saleh, Director of Product Management, Moody’s RMS
- Bryan Rehor, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Zesty.ai
- Karen Collins presentation (PDF 6.39MB)
- Bryan Rehor presentation (PDF 1.92MB)
- Recording for July 15 meeting
- 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
- Steve Brooks, Executive Director, Washington Association of Fire Chiefs
- 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
- Joanne Pearson presentation (PDF 2.08MB)
- Frank Frievalt presentation (PDF 434.37KB)
- Shelby Flanagan presentation (PDF 1.40MB)
- Matthew Dehr presentation (PDF 2.11MB)
- Recording for July 22 meeting
- 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
- Chief Frank Bigelow presentation (PDF 6.59MB)
- Kimiko Barrett presentation (PDF 14.33MB)
- Recording for July 29 meeting
- Stream the July 29 meeting on TVW
August 5, 2025 meeting
- Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Work group discussion
- Speakers
- Dr. Jacob Gellman, Assistant Professor Department of Applied Economics, Oregon State University
- Dr. Jacob Gellman presentation (PDF 6.40MB)
- Chat from August 5 meeting (PDF 254.51KB)
- Recording for August 5 meeting
August 19, 2025 meeting
- Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
- Topic: Work group discussion
- Please register in advance.
October 2025 meeting to be determined
Materials
2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code
Community wildfire resilience resources
- Department of Natural Resources wildfire ready neighbors program
- Wildfire Insurance Learning Series Summary, Washington Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
- Community Wildfire Protection Plan Toolkit, Washington Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
- Washington Community Wildfire Ambassadors, WRCD and WDNR
- 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
Western Washington wildfire reports
- Cascadia Burning: the historic, but not historically unprecedented, 2020 wildfires in the Pacific Northwest - Matthew Reilly et al.
- Nature of the beast: examining climate adaptation options in forests with stand-replacing fire regimes - Joshua Halofsky et al.
- Wildfire in Western Washington: A Different Animal - Daniel Donato & Ashley Blazina webinar
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)
- Firewise USA Residents Reducing Wildfire Risks guidelines updated 2021 (PDF 246.54KB)
- Firewise USA Community Conversation Workshops Overview 2017 (PDF 909.95KB)
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
- Review questionnaire two (PDF 142.88KB)
- Take questionnaire two
- Responses from questionnaire two (XLSX 16.98KB)
- Summary from questionnaire two and July 1 meeting (PDF 129.00KB)
Questionnaire three - July 8 meeting
- Review questionnaire three (PDF 97.76KB)
- Take questionnaire three
- Responses from questionnaire three (XLSX 16.54KB)
- Summary from questionnaire three and July 8 meeting (PDF 157.07KB)
Questionnaire four - July 15 meeting
- Review questionnaire four (PDF 147.99KB)
- Take questionnaire four
- Responses from questionnaire four (XLSX 17.31KB)
- Summary from questionnaire four and July 15 meeting (PDF 153.11KB)
Questionnaire five - July 22 meeting
- Review questionnaire five (PDF 123.23KB)
- Take questionnaire five
- Responses from questionnaire five (XLSX 16.62KB)
- Summary from questionnaire five and July 22 meeting (PDF 181.50KB)
Questionnaire six - July 29 meeting
- Review questionnaire six (PDF 99.37KB)
- Take questionnaire six
- Responses from questionnaire six (XLSX 18.76KB)
- Summary from questionnaire six and July 29 meeting (PDF 164.94KB)
Questionnaire seven - August 5 meeting
Questionnaire eight - August 19 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 |