Wildfires in California
Wildfire Season
Is there such a thing?
California is no stranger to wildfires as it is one the largest states with reserved wild lands up and down the Golden State. However, rising climate temperatures every year causes a lot of that wild land brush to become extremely dry and flammable; creating fertile ground for high-risk fire hazards. Sadly, there is truth to our “Wildfire Season” evolving to longer months and more devastating damage.
Wildfires can happen at anytime and anywhere this dry brush resides. In the middle of forests or on hillsides next to your home. That is why it is smart to have plan in the event you have to be evacuated.
Here are a few tips to start the process to plan and prepare for a wildfire:
Review your home insurance. You should have a conversation at least once a year with your insurance agent to check in and make sure your coverages are keeping up with costs to build and what the road to recovery from a fire will look like. For example, if you got your home insurance when you bought your home twelve years ago and never had a policy review, chances are you are under-insured because the dwelling coverage has not been adjusted properly to meet the current cost of construction. And, where will you live while your house is being rebuilt? Is this covered by your insurance?
Have an inventory checklist of items of value in your home. In the event that you lose all your belongings in a fire, it will help the recovery process move faster so you can get the funds needed to start replacing personal belongings. For a free copy of our Home Inventory checklist CLICK HERE.
Have a quick Emergency Evacuation list at the ready. Whether you get 15 minutes or two hours, HERE is a list to help sort out the critical items based on time.
Frequently check your house (within your property line and just outside of it) for fire hazards, such as dried out branches, leaves and debris, and remove it right away.
Have a 24 hour emergency plan and a 5 minute emergency plan. One never really knows how much time they will have to get to safety. Think about the most important items you will need to take with you and your family.
Have fire drills with your family and an agreed upon rendezvous point in the event you should get separated.
Taking a few moments to prepare now will make the difference between watching a wildfire consume your home and saying “I wish I had planned better” and “Thank goodness we were prepared for this.”
For more information on what you can do to prepare for a wildfire, check out Ready.gov.
Not sure whether you have the right coverage? You can request a complimentary policy review from our agency. Fill out the form below and someone from our agency will be in touch soon.
This content is for information purposes only and may not be applicable to all circumstances. Coverage is subject to terms, conditions and a variety of rating factors. Policy issuance is subject to qualifications by insurer underwriter.