Photo by: Background photo: Frontline Wildfire Defense

ARVADA, Colo. — One of the driest winters on record has Colorado facing elevated wildfire danger and is leading some homeowners across the state to turn to automated exterior sprinkler systems for protection. And insurance experts continue to stress the need to be prepared and adopt multiple fire mitigation steps.

Kersten and Hunter Bishop call Arvada home. They told Denver7 Investigates that they decided to invest in Frontline Wildfire Defense after last winter’s high wind power shutoffs and the memory of the 2021 Marshall Fire, which damaged and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Boulder County.

Frontline’s automated exterior sprinkler system mounts along eaves and rooflines and can trigger automatically or by remote. The company said it targets the most dangerous wildfire threat to homes: wind-driven embers.

Harry Statter, the company's CEO and founder, explained that the sprinklers wet materials outside the home so when those embers land, they don't ignite.

Denver7

Statter said the sprinklers have backup power designed to keep it running even if the electrical grid shuts down, and the system connects to real-time wildfire tracking data nationwide.

The company said Colorado has become its second fastest-growing market in the country, behind California.

"There's a fire history in Colorado and folks are aware of it," Statter said.

The company said their systems costs tens of thousands of dollars, though financing options are available. A partnership between Frontline and insurance company STAND has launched in California, offering lower insurance premiums to homeowners who install the system.

Insurance experts say other mitigation steps remain important

Colorado insurance experts say systems like Frontline's are promising, but caution that they should not replace proven wildfire mitigation strategies.

"Everyone is on high alert that we're in for a scary wildfire season and for insurance, what that means is we need to be prepared," said Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association.

Denver7: Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association, speaks with Denver7's Jenn Kovaleski about the upcoming fire season and what it means for insurance companies.

She said homeowners should look at the system as a tool in the toolbox, while not bypassing proven mitigation techniques. She added that homeowners should also maintain "the right amount of defensible space around your home, have the right fire-resistant roof."

Statter agreed that no single solution is enough on its own.

"It takes a comprehensive set of mitigations to really, truly protect a home," Statter said.