Wildfires' Impact on Home Insurance Underwriting in Oregon

Many homes in Oregon are at high or even extreme risk of damage by wildfires. To determine if your property is eligible for coverage and to calculate your premium, we evaluate wildfire risk at two levels:

Level 1 - Community

Level 1 – Community scores reflect the probability of your community being affected by a wildfire, based on statistical models using historical wildfire events in your area. We look at:

• Distance to historical fire perimeters
• Distance to high wildfire potential areas
• Wildfire potential
• How much of the region is covered by forests, wetlands, impervious surfaces, agriculture, and other land and water types (National Land Cover Dataset)
• Slope of surrounding land
• Average temperature
• Average number of wildfires occurring each year, and the total acreage involved
• Distance to nearest fire station

Level 2 - Property

We base a Level 2 – Property score on the prospect for your property being damaged in a wildfire. In this case, we consider:

• The density of vegetation around your property
• How crowded or built up your neighborhood is
• The year your home was built
• The roofing material on your home
• How much of the region is covered by forests, wetlands, impervious surfaces, agriculture, and other land and water types (National Land Cover Dataset)
• The slope, or degree of incline, of surrounding land

Both sets of calculations determine your property’s vulnerability on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a low risk and 10 being a very high risk.

You can reduce possible losses from wildfires by removing trees that overhang your property, clearing other vegetation within 100 feet of your home and other buildings, and changing your roof to a more flame-resistant material. Visit our Reduce Your Wildfire Risk page for more recommendations that may improve your score and reduce the wildfire portion of your premium.

You want the peace of mind of knowing your home and family are protected from wildfires and other risks. Amica representatives are standing by to help.