Wildfire and home insurance in Montana: nonrenewals and what helps

Why are Montana homeowners getting wildfire nonrenewals?

Montana's Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor James Brown, wrote in a 2025 column on the office's website that homeowners near wildland-urban interfaces are facing steep premium increases or nonrenewal notices, that nearly 70 percent of all wildfires recorded in Montana have occurred since 2000, and that Montana ranks second nationally for the percentage of homes at risk of catastrophic wildfire damage. In August 2026, the Daily Montanan reported Brown saying that homeowners in Ravalli and Flathead counties in particular were seeing high rates of nonrenewal "due to perceived wildfire risk", and that Montana's average homeowner premiums rose 74 percent from 2018 to 2024, the most in the western region.

Insurers are pricing what their models say about the property and its surroundings. Some of that is fixed (slope, fuel type, distance to wildland). Some of it is what is growing and piled around the house, which is the part a homeowner can change. Context on the risk itself is in our Montana Wildfire & Defensible Space Guide.

How much notice does an insurer have to give before not renewing a home policy in Montana?

Montana Code Annotated 33-23-401 says an insurer may not cancel or refuse to renew a policy insuring a private residence occupied by the insured as a domicile, including fire and homeowner coverage, without first giving the insured 45 days' notice in writing, including a statement of the specific reason or reasons for canceling or not renewing. The exception is cancellation for nonpayment of premium, where the notice may not be less than 20 days.

Two practical points follow. The notice has to state a specific reason, so read it closely; a reason that names vegetation, roof condition or access gives you something concrete to address or to ask about. And 45 days is not long to shop for a replacement policy, so start immediately rather than waiting to see whether the insurer reconsiders.

Can an insurer refuse to renew just because I live in a wildfire area?

Montana limits refusals based on location alone. Section 33-18-210(7), MCA, quoted in the commissioner's August 14, 2023 advisory memorandum, says an insurer may not make or permit unfair discrimination between individuals or risks of the same class and of essentially the same hazards by refusing to issue, refusing to renew, canceling, or limiting coverage on a property risk because of its geographic location, unless the action is for a business purpose that is not a mere pretext for unfair discrimination, or is required by law or regulatory mandate.

The memorandum restated a position dating to an advisory first issued in 2000: refusing or limiting coverage based on the threat of wildfires, for property that does not have a substantially increased risk of loss from wildfire, will be investigated as a possible violation of the insurance code. It says insurers are expected to decide case by case, with reference to the degree the property is actually threatened by wildfire. The commissioner asks anyone aware of such refusals to report them online at csimt.gov, by calling the Insurance Consumer Services Bureau at (406) 444-2040, or by emailing ics@mt.gov.

That does not mean every wildfire nonrenewal is unlawful. A home in dense timber on a steep slope may well have a substantially increased risk. It does mean the reason should be about your property, not just your zip code, and the commissioner's office is the place to ask if you think it is not.

Can I find out my home's wildfire risk score?

Yes, if your insurer uses one. House Bill 533, passed in 2025 (Chapter 485, Laws of 2025), requires an insurer that uses a wildfire risk score in rating residential property to provide, on request of the insured, the insured's producer or an applicant: the current wildfire risk score; the range of possible scores under the model; who created the score; the date it was created; and the key factors that adversely affected the score. The insurer has to provide it no later than 30 days after the request.

The law applies to admitted insurers and does not apply to nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers. The key factors are the useful part: if they point to vegetation density, proximity of fuel to the house or slope, you know which ones are fixable. How to turn those factors into a record of work done is in how to document wildfire mitigation for your insurer.

Do Montana insurers give discounts for wildfire mitigation?

They are allowed to, but not required to. MCA 33-24-110, enacted in 2025 (Chapter 105, Laws of 2025), says an insurer may provide a benefit or premium reduction to a homeowner's policyholder for preventive measures. The fire measures it lists include ignition-resistant or noncombustible building materials and roofing; maintaining an adequate outside water source; providing annual confirmation, if requested, that defensible space landscaping is in place; keeping a border of at least 5 feet of nonflammable landscaping around the property; complying with local, state or federal fire prevention or community preparedness programs; fire or emergency alarm systems; complying with the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code where it applies; and providing sufficient access for firefighting equipment and emergency vehicles. A benefit must be stated in writing to the policyholder, and the statute says it is not an illegal rebate.

A March 2026 background paper for the Legislature's Economic Affairs Interim Committee describes Montana as one of the states that allow rather than mandate mitigation discounts. The Daily Montanan reported in August 2026 that the commissioner's office planned to request legislation for the 2027 session tied to premium discounts for homeowners who do prevention work. Ask your insurer, in writing, which of the statute's measures it credits.

What is the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation, and is it available in Montana?

Wildfire Prepared Home is a designation program run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). When we checked its site in November 2026, it listed Montana among the states where the program is available. The program has two levels, Base (Essential) and Plus (Enhanced), and each level's requirements must be completed in full to earn a certificate. The process the site describes: do the preparation work using its checklist, pay a nonrefundable application fee and submit eligibility photos, then have an in-person evaluation by a third party, with 60 days to complete any remaining work and submit photos.

The 2026 Base requirements include a Class A fire-rated roof covering; noncombustible gutters and downspouts with routine removal of leaves and needles; 6 inches of noncombustible vertical clearance at the base of exterior walls; flame- and ember-resistant vents or vents covered with 1/8-inch corrosion-resistant metal mesh; a continuous 0 to 5 foot noncombustible zone free of vegetation, mulch, overhanging branches and combustible items, with wood or vinyl fencing within 5 feet replaced by noncombustible fencing; properly spaced trees and shrubs, trimmed grass and dead vegetation removed from 5 to 30 feet; firewood stored at least 30 feet from the home; and no more than 3 detached structures within 30 feet. Plus adds items such as enclosed eaves, noncombustible siding and decks, tempered dual-pane windows, and no detached structures within 30 feet. Whether a given Montana insurer recognizes the designation is a question for that insurer.

What should I do if I get a wildfire nonrenewal notice?

Commissioner Brown's column says that if you receive a nonrenewal notice because of wildfire risk, contact your insurance agent or the commissioner's office, at csimt.gov/insurance or 406-444-2040. A sensible order of operations:

1. Read the stated reason, which MCA 33-23-401 requires to be specific, and note the effective date. 2. Ask your agent whether the decision can be reconsidered if specific conditions are corrected, and get the answer in writing. 3. If the insurer uses a wildfire risk score, request it and its key factors under HB 533. 4. Start shopping right away; the commissioner's column mentions surplus lines coverage as an option if standard coverage is unavailable, and reminds homeowners to make sure wildfire damage is covered and that dwelling coverage matches current rebuilding costs. 5. If you believe the refusal is based on location alone rather than your property's actual risk, report it to the commissioner's office. 6. Fix what you can, and document it.

This is general information about Montana law and programs as we found them on official pages in November 2026, not legal or insurance advice. For a decision about your policy, talk to your agent or an attorney, and call the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance with questions.

Which property work actually helps with an insurer?

The overlap between the statute's list, the IBHS checklist and every agency's defensible space guidance is the area right around the house. The 5-foot nonflammable border appears in MCA 33-24-110 and as the IBHS 0 to 5 foot noncombustible zone; defensible space out to 30 feet appears in both; access for fire equipment appears in the statute. Those are things we do. Roofing, vents, siding and windows are construction work for a roofer or builder.

In practice that means clearing the first five feet (zone 0 guide), removing needles and debris from roofs and gutters (roof and gutter guide), spacing and limbing trees and shrubs out to 30 feet and beyond (thinning conifers for defensible space), moving firewood (firewood storage), and clearing driveways so an engine can get in (driveway access for fire engines). If you are also thinking about selling, see does fire mitigation help when selling a Montana home.

How HJ Property Care can help

Our fire mitigation service is built around the house-out priorities insurers and agencies use: near-structure cleanup, roof and gutter needle removal, ladder-fuel removal, selective thinning by an ISA Certified Arborist, and chipping or hauling the slash. Ask for an estimate and invoice that describe the work by area, which is what you need when an agent asks what was done. We do not sell insurance, give legal advice, or do roofing or vent work.

If a nonrenewal notice names vegetation or defensible space, send us the wording with your request and we will tell you what it would take to address it. Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free estimate. We walk the property with you, starting at the house and working outward, and an ISA Certified Arborist plans the tree work.

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