By Craig Weeks
Founder, Chief Technical Designer · Updated November 06, 2026
Frontline Wildfire Defense and Wetline both install exterior wildfire sprinklers, so homeowners often compare us. The short answer: Frontline sells a sprinkler system. Wetline builds a full defense around your home, with the sprinklers as one of six layers and retired firefighters on the job. Both are real options. This page lays out the differences as fairly as we can, with sources for every claim about Frontline.
At a glance
| Wetline Wildfire Defense | Frontline Wildfire Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | A hardening plan for the whole home: sprinklers, coatings, vents, window film, pre-treatment and monitoring | An exterior sprinkler system, plus a free fire alert app |
| Who designs it | Retired fire chiefs and a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1029958) | Frontline designs the system; licensed contractors install it in each state |
| What it sprays | Water with a biodegradable Class A retardant | Water with a biodegradable Class A foam (CBS LA) |
| How it turns on | Heat and ember sensors on site, plus our monitoring team | Remotely, when fire-tracking software finds a fire within about 7 miles; automatic activation needs an active subscription (per Frontline's website) |
| Embers inside the house | Vents, gutter guards and window film stop the most common entry points | Not part of the system |
| People on red flag days | Our Fire Brigade stages, checks systems and pre-treats enrolled homes | Not offered |
| Insurance paperwork | Insurance-ready report and maintenance logs for your broker | Not described on their site |
| Service area | Greater Los Angeles, Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada | 11 western states (FireRisk.ai) |
| Price | Quoted after a free on-site assessment | About $10 per square foot in 2023, or about $20,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home (CBS LA); "tens of thousands" in 2025 (NBC Bay Area) |
Where Frontline is strong
Frontline is a well-funded company. It raised a $48 million Series A in 2025 (NBC Bay Area), and TIME named its Defense System 2 one of the best inventions of 2025 (FireRisk.ai). Its system has battery backup and connects by cellular, WiFi and satellite, so it can still be triggered if the grid or internet goes down. It also offers zero-down financing.
Frontline reports that most customer homes in the January 2025 Los Angeles fire zones survived. Those figures are company-reported and haven't been independently audited.
Where Wetline is different
We harden the whole house, not just the roof. Embers cause up to 90 percent of home ignitions (IBHS), and many get in through attic vents, gutters and broken windows. After the 2025 LA fires, IBHS found homes with four hardening features had a 54 percent chance of avoiding damage, compared with 36 percent for homes with one (IBHS). A sprinkler system is one layer. We add the others.
Firefighters design and inspect every system. Our team includes a retired LA County Fire Division Chief, a retired Forest Service Division Chief and a sitting fire chief. They walk your property before anything is installed. Read more about our team.
People, not just hardware. Hardware only helps if it works on the day. Our 24/7 monitoring includes seasonal system tests, and our Fire Brigade stages crews and pre-treats enrolled homes on red flag days.
Paperwork for your insurer. California requires insurers to recognize certain mitigation work. We document every layer so your broker can make the case. See Safer from Wildfires.
Which should you choose?
Choose Frontline if you live outside our service area, want a single product installed quickly, and plan to handle the rest of your home's hardening yourself.
Choose Wetline if you want one team to assess the whole property, harden the weak points, install and maintain the sprinklers, show up on red flag days and document it all for your insurer.
See what your home actually needs. A retired firefighter will walk your property for free and show you which layers matter most. Book a free assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Is Frontline Wildfire Defense worth it?
It can be, as part of a hardened home. Independent research on exterior sprinklers is still limited; IBHS says little "methodical research" exists on their real-world effectiveness (IBHS). Pair any sprinkler system with ember-resistant vents, a clear five-foot zone and protected windows.
How much does Frontline cost?
Frontline quotes each home. Reported figures range from about $10 per square foot (about $20,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home) in 2023 to "tens of thousands of dollars" in 2025.
Do both systems use the same firefighting agent?
Both spray water mixed with a biodegradable Class A agent. The bigger differences are how the system is triggered, what else is hardened, and whether people are part of the service.
Does Wetline work outside California and Nevada?
Not today. We serve Greater Los Angeles, Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada. See our service areas.
