source: New York Times
This New York Time article covers in depth how to evaluate wildfire risk (and other climate-related risks) when shopping for a home. The authors discuss multiple possible sources for wildfire risk assessment.
Disclosure requirements
In California, there is a requirement for disclosure by sellers and sellers’ agents must disclose:
- any past insurance claims (in general, and specifically about wildfire) in the general seller property questionnaire, available before offer.
- if the house belongs to an area that is deemed vulnerable to wildfire. Sellers have seven days to disclose after accepting an offer. Buyers then have three to five days to back out.
The California Association of Realtors has announced that is will work with FortressFire, a wildfire modeling and mitigation company, to offer “Wildfire Disclosure Reports that identify a home’s vulnerabilities and potential insurability challenges” (NYT). In 2025, they expect to include a mention of the availability of these reports in the association’s standard purchase contract. However, the reports will be for sale, and will need to be purchased by the buyer or the seller.
Zillow and Redfin
Both Zillow and Redfin provide a fire risk assessment (licensed from First Street), Zillow on properties for sale, Redfin for any address. Zillow always displays this information, while Redfin allows listing agents to suppress it.
First Street
It is the company that provides fire risk assessment information to Zillow and Redfin. Individuals may subscribe to First Street directly for a fee (right now about $40/mo).
The article goes in detail about how to harden your home. There is no new information in it compared to what is present on BerkeleyFirewise.org. One comment of note, however:
"How worried should I be about my neighbors? Does it matter whether they have done any hardening?
Plenty, if it’s a densely populated area. None of us are as strong as all of us, nor as safe. If a nearby property seems like a fire trap, that becomes part of your risk assessment. You’ll want to examine such properties with the same scrutiny you bring to your own.[emphasized by us]
Their point is the same as ours: with wildfire, you are dependent upon your neighbors as much as upon yourself. Defending against wildfire is a community activity. This is why Firewise can make a difference.
Source:
- How to Shop for a Home That Won’t Be Upended by Climate Change - The New York Times [this article may be located behind a paywall]