Burns & Wilcox has announced an expansion of its partnership with Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS), a private firm specializing in wildfire loss prevention and mitigation.
Through this extended collaboration, Burns & Wilcox will now provide WDS resources and personnel to insured clients of its retail insurance partners in Texas and New Mexico.
As part of the program, WDS monitors active wildfires to assess whether insured properties are at risk. When a property is identified, WDS provides mitigation services that may include deploying portable sprinkler systems to increase humidity, removing combustible materials, sealing gaps to prevent ember entry, applying fire-blocking gels, and using ground-applied retardants.
Burns & Wilcox has maintained the longest-standing partnership with WDS in the excess and surplus insurance marketplace, integrating wildfire defense measures into its coverage for high-risk areas.
Bill Gatewood (pictured above), corporate senior vice president and national personal insurance practice leader at Burns & Wilcox, highlighted the partnership’s impact over the past five years.
He noted that more than 10,000 homes have been enrolled in the Wildfire Defense Program since its launch, citing the growing need for such initiatives as wildfires become a year-round concern.
“In the five years since launching our initial partnership with WDS, Burns & Wilcox has enrolled more than 10,000 homes in our Wildfire Defense Program with very positive outcomes,” Gatewood said.
David Torgerson, board chairman at Wildfire Defense Systems, emphasized the significance of the collaboration. He stated that working with Burns & Wilcox enhances WDS’s ability to deliver strategic wildfire mitigation and response services.
The Wildfire Defense Program currently serves insured properties in high-risk areas, including California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, in addition to Texas and New Mexico. Burns & Wilcox said that it aims to continue addressing the increasing wildfire threat across these regions.
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