With all that’s happening, it’s hard to wrap your mind around another worry.

But yes, it is wildfire season and time to take steps to make your home more fire-resistant. If you’ve been Sheltering in Place, you probably know your home better than ever and maybe have gained a little DIY confidence with home improvement projects.

We like to keep it practical. Here are three things you can do to get prepared for wildfire season:

1. Take on a project to “harden your home”. Here are a few low cost and no-cost projects that will increase your home’s odds.
2. Help convince insurance companies to support and reward wildfire risk reduction by writing to your elected representatives on pending legislation. Use this sample letter to make your voice heard.
3.  Do your best to keep your home insurance safety net in place, we know it’s not easy today. If you do get dropped in California, starting July 2020 your insurer must give you at least 75 days’ notice. If the price tag for your policy has jumped beyond your budget, keep shopping and increase your deductible. UP has tips and tools to help you.

We are hearing from many consumers who are having trouble keeping their homes insured at an affordable price. We are working hard on solutions.

We invite you to join UP’s Executive Director Amy Bach on July 21st 2020 at 4pm for a free webinar on “Tips from the Trenches: Keeping your Home Protected in a Challenging Insurance Market.” To submit a question to be answered during the webinar, email: info@uphelp.org

You can also join Amy and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on July 9th, 2020 at 5 pm for a statewide Tele-Townhall on Wildfire Preparedness.