Wildfire Defense Services: Protecting Our Customers from Increased Wildfire Risk

In the last five years, there have been more than 290,000 wildfires in the United States that burned more than 32 million acres.¹ Nine of the 10 costliest wildfires in U.S. history have occurred since 2017.²

While our commitment to our customers is to make them whole after a covered loss such as a wildfire, we also help our customers avoid the loss entirely or mitigate the loss should one occur. In 2019, Travelers introduced a Wildfire Defense Services Endorsement for California home and landlord policies. From 2020 to 2022, we extended this offering to all small commercial customers in California, home and landlord customers in Colorado and farm and ranch customers in 17 Western states. This endorsement provides an added layer of wildfire protection for our customers at no additional cost. We work with Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) to provide response services that supplement the efforts of local firefighters and other first responders who are deployed before, during and after active wildfires.

WDS is a private firm that specializes in wildfire education, loss intervention and response services. In the event of a wildfire, the firm uses proprietary technology to generate wildfire threat prediction maps that help identify the imminent threat zone and the Travelers customers within that area. WDS then services as many homes as possible based on a variety of factors, including resources, weather conditions, the fire’s proximity and the firm’s own safety guidelines. The service works to protect our customers’ homes and businesses from wildfires with services beyond what local fire departments may be able to provide – such as reducing potential fuel sources, taping vents, applying fire retardants and setting up sprinklers.

In addition to protecting our customers’ businesses and properties, it is estimated this loss intervention service has saved us millions of dollars in potential losses since 2019. This is just one example of the shared value we create – in other words, how delivering on our promise to our customers also generates shareholder value.

¹ National Interagency Fire Center, 2023.
² Insurance Information Institute, 2023.