← Fire Safety & Insurability

Neighborhood and Block Certification

Separate from the home program, IBHS created Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood, a voluntary program for HOAs, builders, and community representatives. Rather than evaluating one house at a time, it addresses how homes affect one another through structure spacing, fuel continuity, building materials, and shared community features. Its goal is to reduce the spread of fire from structure to structure.

A neighborhood that meets all the required actions earns a designation certificate showing improved survivability, resilience, and insurability.

Key points from IBHS

Initial eligibility

The neighborhood must be in a state where the program is offered (California is), have homes spaced at least 10 feet apart for at least 90% of structures, have Class A fire-rated roofs, and have an established HOA.

A mix of levels is allowed

A neighborhood can be designated with a mix of Essential and Enhanced homes. Edge homes with the highest exposure are encouraged to meet Enhanced, while interior homes may meet Essential. This is the logic behind our zone map.

Enhanced is the long-term goal

IBHS is candid that Enhanced is the only level that fully addresses how fire moves through a neighborhood. As neighborhoods burn, structures become fuel, and interior homes built only to Essential could become the next ignition sources. If you are in the Ember Zone, keep that in mind when choosing materials, especially for new construction and major renovations.

It complements local codes

It does not replace them, and it is not another layer of inspections for residents.

Process

A neighborhood submits an inquiry to IBHS, which reviews it, assesses ember and flame exposure, and identifies where different levels of protection apply. That is the work reflected in our maps.

Certifying block by block

Even if Sunset Mesa does not achieve full neighborhood certification, individual blocks of homes may be able to earn it.

IBHS has grouped the neighborhood into 11 blocks (labeled “clusters” on the map below) so certification can be pursued block by block. A group of neighbors can succeed together even if the whole neighborhood does not reach the goal at the same time.

SMPOA is still working with IBHS to determine how many homes in a block, or in the neighborhood as a whole, must reach the applicable level before the block or neighborhood can be designated. Talk with your neighbors: block certification depends on collective participation, and shared setbacks and property lines sometimes require coordination.