Fireproofing your property: What buyers and sellers need to know before wildfire season arrives

(Update: Adding video)

Jillian Fortner will have a report on KTVZ News at Six

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With summer wildfire season just around the corner, it’s important for both sellers and buyers to consider steps to fireproof a property.

One of the best ways to do that is by creating defensible space, clearing flammable materials from around your home.

"This one is another great example of defensible space," real estate broker Justin Earl said Wednesday. "There's no grass, there's no barkdust. It's all this brown rock that we're seeing more and more up here in Central Oregon, going all the way up to the house. The trees are limited to a certain distance away from the house."

Earl says these features may not greatly increase a home's value, but they can make it more appealing to buyers.

"From a buyer's perspective, they like to see that," he said. "It makes them feel good to know that. We've seen plenty of spaces where the one house that survives is the one that has that defensible space."

Having defensible space also can mean spacing trees, mowing grass and clearing leaves and needles within 100 feet of your home, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

It's especially important if you're in a high-risk fire area.

While defensible space can help, insurance companies note that coverage ultimately depends on their own wildfire risk maps, not the controversial state-created ones that some lawmakers want to repeal. By state law, they cannot adjust insurance rates based on the Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map.

"So each company has their internal wildfire mapping program they use. And so it's all reliant on which program we use for each company," said Marsh McLennan Agency sales executive James Flemming.

The growing number of wildfires has led insurers to tighten policies or remove coverage from certain areas. KTVZ reported in January that some La Pine residents saw significant insurance hikes after the Darlene 3 fire.

"So customers are seeing the light switch back where they haven't had previous rate increases for the last 20 years, and also in the last five or six years or since, you know, up to, you know, anywhere from 15 up to 50% increase to 100% increases in some cases," Flemming said.

Oregon lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 1511, which would help residents form neighborhood groups to create defensible space around their homes. This would include a certification program aimed at helping homeowners secure better insurance rates.

If you're concerned about your property, you can get a free defensible space assessment from the Oregon State Fire Marshal.