Idaho Wildfire Home Protection Zone Evaluation

How it works

A state fire evaluator completes an Idaho Wildfire Home Protection Zone Evaluation for the homeowner. The form says the purpose is to provide recommendations on steps the homeowner can take to protect the home in a wildland fire situation. The evaluation is educational and advisory, and the form states that neither the evaluation nor any work completed as a result can guarantee the structure will survive a wildfire.

What the service covers

The form explicitly covers recommendations for the structure and the surrounding vegetation zones. For the structure, it references roofing and siding choices and asks whether roof and gutters are cleaned of debris. For vegetation, it walks the homeowner through three zones around the home: a 4-foot zone immediately adjacent to the structure, a 30-foot zone, and a 30-to-100-foot zone. The checklist includes non-flammable fuel breaks, removal of leaf litter, use of fire-resistant plant species, non-flammable landscaping material, mowing and irrigation, removal of dead vegetation and ladder fuels, pruning trees, spacing shrubs, and thinning tree crowns.

Timing and limits

The form is a homeowner evaluation tool rather than a funding program. It does not state a cash amount, reimbursement, or deadline. It is intended to help homeowners identify mitigation work they can do when feasible, especially when roof or siding repair or replacement is already planned.