Summer is Here ~ Less is More

If you live in a suburb or rural area, as you refuel the BBQ and dust off outdoor furniture, take a moment to look around your home and yard. What is in that first five feet around and right up against your home? What if an insurance company, firefighter or local official told you need to completely clear it? Every single plant or object. Yikes, right? For those of us focused on reducing wildfire risk and restoring insurance options – the 5 feet around your home is a very hot topic…pardon the pun.

Insure-tech is giving your insurer more info on your home’s vulnerabilities than in the past, and they may ask you to make improvements to stay with their company. Examples are installing moisture sensors and fortifying your roof. In addition to new insurance company rules, we’re seeing new local laws, especially in wildfire-prone states related to what experts refer to as “Zone Zero”.

Many experts, including the Institute for Home and Business Safety (Wildfire Prepared Home) and fire agencies are firm that keeping “Zone Zero” clear of any brush (plants, bushes or trees) is critical to saving homes. United Policyholders strongly supports IBHS’ important work and programs. However, we recognize that a hard and fast rule won’t work in all situations and is one of our biggest obstacles to accomplishing widespread risk reduction. In addition to aesthetic concerns, mature trees provide critically important shade in our increasingly hot climate. Because our overall goal is to reduce risk – we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Experts and stakeholders, including the CA Board of Forestry, are working hard to balance what fire science tells us about the importance of keeping this space clear of trees and brush with what’s realistic for property owners.

We are seeing small signs of progress with insurers offering incentives and discounts to property owners to help with their wildfire mitigation efforts. In California, if you secure a Wildfire Prepared Home certification, CSAA Insurance Group has committed that “your single-family homeowners policy won’t be non-renewed due to wildfire risk and we will renew your homeowners policy for a minimum of three years if you maintain the (Wildfire Prepared Home) certification and all other requirements of your policy.”

The best thing you as a homeowner can do is make risk reduction a part of your routine maintenance and consider fire safe landscaping. Your local fire department and our Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRAP) Resource Center are here to help.