As we take a moment to mark the 5 year anniversary of the 2020 Cameron Peak, Calwood, Lefthand Canyon, and East Troublesome Fires, we take a look back at one wildfire survivor’s journey home.  Here is Kevin’s story, in his own words:

“I have been back in the house about 6 months.  At first, it was really weird because it is the same floor plan I would wake up having a flash back I was in the old house!  Then it simply evolved to the point that I feel every day I am in the old house and never actually left it!  It’s like the fire was a dream, and the last four years went by in a blink of an eye.

My home just north of Boulder was a total loss from the Calwood fire on October 17, 2020.   As unprepared as I was for this devastating event, I soon found out I was just as unprepared for managing my insurance claim!  I honestly do not know what I would have done without the help and support from United Policyholders.  From the start, UP helped me translate my declarations page, making sense out of this new and strange language of terms like “ALE, ERC, and  Law and Ordinance.”  The “yellow book” was absolutely vital to submitting the contents claim.

Besides the wealth of information, having direct contact via Zoom with a bevy of experts -accountants, attorneys, contractors, counselors, personal adjustors-many of whom, themselves, are also wild fire survivors has been a fantastic experience.  The sharing of knowledge and support has been inspiring.  I continue to be amazed how generous UP members and consultants have been with their time.

As it has been said during many of the UP sessions, “your homeowners policy is only a vehicle which you still need to ‘drive’ to reach your destination.”  In that case, UP has been the trusty navigator mounted on the dash, in that kind reassuring voice saying “please turn here, when convenient, make a U turn,” and finally, “you have reached your destination.”  In other words, without UP, I would have certainly been “lost!”

Extremely grateful,

Kevin Mott, M.D.

 

 

Feb., 2025