WASHINGTON STATE – The Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency Standards Working Group submitted its first report to the Washington State Legislature back at the beginning of the month, focusing on preparing for wildfires and supporting those affected.
The group, formed through a house bill signed into law in May 2025, held eight meetings with experts to develop recommendations for mitigating wildfire damage. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner [OIC] recently published a podcast episode discussing the group's findings.
Robyn Whitney and Lauren Burnes, members of the working group, shared insights into the report. Whitney, with the Department of Natural Resources, emphasized the importance of the dialogue within the group.
"Where we did find agreement on some of the things, there wasn't so much agreement in other areas. But the dialogue was important," he said.
The report includes recommendations on five study areas, including using nationally recognized mitigation standards. Whitney highlighted consensus on enhancing community-level mitigation efforts.
"Let's try to find ways that we can take from the best examples of what partners are doing in this space, what DNR [Department of Natural Resources] is doing, what the fire districts are doing, and really just try to find those areas where we can make improvements," he said.
Burnes, with the OIC, noted the group's strong support for establishing a grant program to protect homes in high-risk areas and reduce non-renewals and cancellations in residential markets.
"Not every homeowner has the funding or availability or ability to home harden is the term. And by creating this grant program, we would be able to help support homeowners in high-risk areas, retrofit their properties to those IBHS [Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety] standards," said Burnes.
With the report now in the hands of the legislature, Whitney stressed the ongoing nature of these discussions.
"This is a great example to show that the success of this report, I think, is that those conversations are ongoing. Those connections are solidifying, and folks are really committed to moving forward on this," he said.
The working group is considering a grant program similar to one in Alabama that protects roofs from hurricanes. Whitney mentioned this program as a model to consider in developing Washington's grant initiative.
