I have deployed 30 automatic fire extinguishers on the outside of my house and outbuildings. If approached by fire, they spray 360 degrees, out to 8 feet. Are such things taken into consideration? State Farm has just decided not to renew my homeowner’s policy, despite my Firewise USA community and very expensive hardening efforts.
Carolyn Stallard asked 8 months ago 1 Answers
Joel Laucher Expert answered 7 months ago Dear Carolyn,
Insurers in California have the freedom to select their own underwriting (eligibility) standards for new business and renewals as long as the selected standards are objective, related to the risk of loss and applied consistently. If the insurer chooses to discontinue writing risks above a specified wildfire risk score, for example, they can non-renew homes located within those higher scores despite any mitigation efforts or participation in a Firewise community by the insured. They could choose to make an exception for homes that meet additional specified standards, but they don’t have to.
Additionally, to your particular point, many insurers and firefighters have opined that fire retardant and water extinguishing systems are often nullified by the high winds that are common during wildfire events.
I hope this answers your question,
Joel Laucher
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