Kin Insurance has integrated ZestyAI’s wildfire risk assessment model, Z-FIRE, to evaluate property-level wildfire exposure in California.  

This integration, which took only ten days, allows the insurer to offer coverage in areas with high wildfire risks. 

Z-FIRE employs machine learning (ML) to assess a range of factors that contribute to a property’s vulnerability to wildfires, including defensible space, construction materials, topography and vegetation.  

The model’s predictive capabilities were validated during the recent Los Angeles wildfires, where it identified the majority of the areas that were severely impacted. 

ZestyAI secured approval for Z-FIRE across Western states.  

Its severe convective storm models have also gained acceptance in US regions prone to such weather events, including Texas, Colorado, the Midwest and the Great Plains. 

Kin pricing and risk management vice-president Michael McCright stated: “ZestyAI’s Z-FIRE model brings the level of insight we need to confidently assess risk and offer coverage in areas at risk of wildfire.” 

ZestyAI founder and CEO Attila Toth said: “Kin’s expansion into California is exactly the kind of forward-thinking move our technology was built to support. Together, we are helping show that with the right data and tools, insurers can re-enter challenging markets with confidence – and deliver meaningful protection to homeowners who need it most. 

“Equally important, Z-FIRE empowers insurers to recognise and reward mitigation efforts at the property level, encouraging homeowners to take action that reduces risk for themselves and their communities.” 

Earlier in February, NEXT Insurance partnered with ZestyAI to utilise the Z-PROPERTY and Z-FIRE models to refine its underwriting processes.