If you own a home in Bend, you've probably noticed something unsettling about your insurance lately. Maybe your premium doubled when you renewed. Maybe your longtime carrier sent you a non-renewal notice. You're not imagining things—Bend is at the center of Oregon's wildfire insurance crisis, and it's affecting nearly everyone who owns property here.
Here's what you need to know about protecting your home and managing insurance costs in Central Oregon's high desert. The landscape is challenging, but understanding your options can help you navigate this difficult market.
Why Bend's Home Insurance Market Is Different
Bend's explosion from a mill town of 20,000 in the 1990s to nearly 100,000 residents today has created a perfect storm for insurance companies. All that new construction—much of it built in the last two decades—sits in what's known as the wildland-urban interface. That's the zone where houses meet forests, and it's exactly where wildfire risk is highest.
Add in Central Oregon's high desert climate—hot, dry summers with low humidity and abundant juniper and ponderosa pine—and you understand why insurers are nervous. About 21% of properties in Deschutes County fall into the high wildfire hazard category, with more than half designated as moderate risk. That's not a small problem. It's a county-wide reality.
The result? Homeowners across Bend are seeing premiums that were once $1,000 to $1,800 per year jump to $3,500, $5,000, or even $9,000 annually. Major carriers like State Farm have told longtime customers they're "uninsurable." Safeco and Progressive have effectively stopped writing new policies in ZIP codes around Bend, Sisters, and Sunriver. It's not just premium increases—some homeowners can't get coverage at all.
Understanding Wildfire Risk and Your Coverage
Here's something most people don't realize: insurers aren't using Oregon's official wildfire hazard maps to set your rates. Those maps—released by the Oregon Department of Forestry in January 2025—are actually prohibited from being used for insurance decisions under state law. Instead, insurance companies use their own proprietary models that analyze weather patterns, vegetation, topography, and historical fire data.
What matters to insurers is the broader area where you live, not necessarily your individual property. Even if you've cleared defensible space and installed fire-resistant roofing, you might still face higher premiums simply because your ZIP code has elevated wildfire exposure. Companies look at the whole region when determining risk, which means responsible homeowners sometimes pay for the collective risk of their neighborhood.
Standard homeowners insurance policies in Oregon do cover wildfire damage—you don't need a separate fire policy in most cases. Your dwelling coverage protects the structure of your home, and your personal property coverage handles your belongings. But here's the catch: if you can't find affordable coverage through traditional carriers, you might end up in Oregon's FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort. Those policies are significantly more expensive and provide more limited coverage.
What You Can Do to Lower Your Costs
Even in this tough market, you're not completely powerless. Creating defensible space is the single most effective thing you can do. Research shows that embers cause up to 90% of structural ignitions during wildfires—not the wall of flames you see on TV. A 5-foot non-combustible buffer around your home (concrete, gravel, stone) can dramatically reduce your risk.
Beyond that immediate zone, extend your defensible space to at least 30 feet (or more if you're on a slope). Remove dead vegetation, prune low-hanging branches, and thin trees so there's space between crowns. Deschutes County even offers grants to help homeowners reduce wildfire risk—free money to make your property safer and potentially more insurable.
Roof upgrades matter too. If you're replacing your roof, use Class A fire-resistant materials. Clean your gutters regularly—they're ember traps. Install mesh screens on vents to prevent embers from entering your attic. These upgrades won't guarantee lower premiums immediately, but they improve your chances of finding coverage and can help when negotiating with insurers.
Shop around aggressively. Different insurers use different risk models, which means you might get quotes that vary by thousands of dollars for the same coverage. Work with an independent agent who can submit your application to multiple carriers. Ask specifically about discounts for mitigation efforts—some insurers will give you credit for defensible space, fire-resistant roofing, or monitored alarm systems.
What to Expect When Getting Quotes
Be prepared for sticker shock. Based on 2025 data, Bend homeowners with a $300,000 home and a $1,000 deductible are paying around $1,368 to $1,415 annually on average. But that average masks huge variation. If you're in a high-risk area, you could easily pay $3,500 to $5,000 or more. For higher-value homes, the pain intensifies—a $600,000 home might cost $1,716 annually in a lower-risk area, but several thousand dollars more in wildfire-prone zones.
Expect questions about your property's wildfire mitigation features. Insurers want to know about your roof material, defensible space, distance to the nearest fire hydrant, and proximity to a fire station. Have this information ready. Take photos of your mitigation work and document what you've done. That documentation can be the difference between getting a quote and being declined.
Don't be surprised if you get declined by multiple carriers. It's not personal—it's widespread across Central Oregon. If traditional insurers won't cover you, ask your agent about surplus lines carriers or regional insurers that specialize in high-risk properties. Yes, they're more expensive. But they're writing policies when national carriers won't.
How to Get Started
Start by assessing your current situation. If you already have coverage, don't wait until renewal to shop around—begin the process at least 90 days before your policy expires. If your carrier has sent a non-renewal notice, start immediately. The market is tough, and finding coverage takes time.
Connect with an independent insurance agent who understands the Central Oregon market. They know which carriers are still writing policies in your area and can help you navigate the application process. Explain your wildfire mitigation efforts upfront—don't wait for them to ask.
While you're shopping for coverage, take action on your property. Even if you don't see immediate premium reductions, you're making your home genuinely safer. Check with Deschutes County about wildfire mitigation grants—you might qualify for financial assistance. And review your coverage limits to ensure they match your home's current rebuild cost. Construction costs in Bend have increased significantly with the area's growth, and you don't want to be underinsured if the worst happens.
The wildfire insurance situation in Bend is serious, and it's not getting easier anytime soon. But by understanding the market, taking proactive steps to reduce your risk, and working with knowledgeable professionals, you can find coverage that protects your home without bankrupting you. The key is to start early, shop aggressively, and invest in meaningful wildfire mitigation. Your home—and your wallet—will thank you.
