Partnership with Wildfire Defense Systems Now Spans Twelve U.S. States
FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. (DECEMBER 10, 2024) — Burns & Wilcox, a globally recognized leader in wholesale insurance brokerage and underwriting, today announced the expansion of its partnership with Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS), a private company specializing in wildfire loss prevention and mitigation. As part of this relationship, Burns & Wilcox will make available qualified WDS wildfire resources and personnel to insureds of its retail insurance clients in Texas and New Mexico.
“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,” said Bill Gatewood, Corporate Senior Vice President and Burns & Wilcox National Personal Insurance Practice Leader. “Unfortunately, wildfires are no longer contained to a particular season, so we are pleased to deliver this ongoing and added layer of protection across Texas and New Mexico.”
In partnership with Burns & Wilcox, WDS monitors wildfires to determine if specific insured properties are, or will be, threatened. WDS then responds by providing potentially home-saving services, including portable sprinkler systems to raise relative humidity, clearing combustibles, sealing vents and other gaps where embers could penetrate a structure, application of fire blocking gel and ground-applied retardant, along with other strategies to mitigate wildfire hazards around the home. Burns & Wilcox has the longest running partnership with WDS as a wholesale broker in the excess & surplus insurance marketplace, partnering with WDS on all properties written in the most active wildfire states.
“We are proud of our long history of delivering proven wildfire loss prevention and mitigation response services,” said David Torgerson, Board Chairman, Wildfire Defense Systems. “Working alongside a highly respected and trusted partner in Burns & Wilcox enables WDS to deliver a more targeted and strategic response to the growing threat from wildfires.”
Along with Texas and New Mexico, the Burns & Wilcox Wildfire Defense Program includes high-risk areas in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. More information on the program can be found here www.wildfire-defense.com/questions.
About Burns & Wilcox:
Burns & Wilcox is the insurance industry’s leading wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager internationally recognized for its expertise in commercial and professional liability, property, environmental, marine and personal insurance.
Burns & Wilcox is a member of H.W. Kaufman Group, a privately held global insurance company, which employs more than 2,000 professionals across the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The Kaufman companies include Burns & Wilcox, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, Burns & Wilcox Canada, Atain Insurance Companies, RB Jones, H.W. Kaufman Group Europe, Chesterfield Group, Lochain Patrick, Burns & Wilcox United Kingdom and Node International.
More information can be found at www.hwkaufman.com or at www.burnsandwilcox.com.
About Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. (WDS)
WDS is a national leader in wildfire loss intervention services, combining professional wildfire consulting with federally certified emergency response wildfire suppression services. Founded in 2001 to fulfill initial-attack assignments for the US Forestry Service, the company added professional services support in 2005 and launched comprehensive wildfire loss-prevention programs for insurers in 2008.
WDS provides services to insurer clients at a wildfire agency-level scale, covering a 22-state region with highly experienced personnel, the largest commercially held fleet of wildfire response resources in the nation, and an unmatched inventory of wildfire structure loss prevention equipment and materials. The company’s mix of professional management and field operation expertise allows WDS to perform projects and assignments ranging from design and implementation of comprehensive wildfire programs to structure loss intervention services.
More information can be found at www.wildfire-defense.com.
