2026 Firewise Certificate for Bear Valley New and Old Subs
In 2025, BVRI Board members were part of the recent successful effort to get Bear Valley named a certified Firewise community under CalFire’s Firewise USA® program. Those with properties in the New Subdivision AND the old subdivision are eligible for a discount from their insurers, but you have to apply for it.
Last year, members reported discounts up to 10%, though individual plans will vary. Given how high insurance rates are now, that is significant.
How to Get Your Discount
Request that your insurance carrier apply a discount on your annual premium.
Step 1: Obtain Copies of Bear Valley Firewise Certificate & Map
Download the 2026 Bear Valley Firewise Certificate here from BVRI.org
From the Alpine County Firewise Communities website, download the Bear Valley Firewise Map (PDF) — note that this currently only shows the New Sub, we’ll load the 2026 New and Old Sub as soon as we get it.
Step 2: Call Your Insurance Carrier
To obtain a discount you must call your insurance broker, let them know that Bear Valley is now a Firewise community and in good standing. They will most likely request that you email the two pdf’s above and confirm on the phone that your property is within the boundaries. You may also be required to provide additional information about your property.
NEW: Step 3
Log your time and/or money spent on lot cleanup here, for the county’s Firewise recordkeeping: https://forms.gle/SWMa3g3wHCWvFS3H6
We need this to continue getting certified!
Done & Next Steps
That should be it! Most members are reporting discounts in the 6-10% range on annual premiums.