Summertime and the living is easy…except that wildfire season’s starting and the leading insurer just announced they’re not selling new policies in California.

UP has been busier than ever getting useful tips out to residents of wildfire-vulnerable regions on reducing risk, being prepared and keeping assets insured. The new normal for many households is having to shop and pay more attention (and money) for property insurance. UP is staying on top of the challenging marketplace and offering new guidance to help homeowners make do.

We are tapping leading experts for our free shopping help webinars, speaking up for consumers in the media (including the NY Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post), coordinating with the CA Department of Insurance to brief agents and brokers, and participating in community events to give people the straight scoop and up-do-date guidance.

Every resident of a brush-heavy suburban or rural area should be pro-actively reducing wildfire risk and participating in community risk reduction efforts. This is critical to getting the insurance situation under control.

Visit UP’s new WRAP Resource Center to learn what you can do and how to access help in your county. “WRAP” stands for Wildfire Risk Reduction & Asset Protection ~ our initiative aimed at helping property owners deal with California’s regional home insurance crisis and getting insurers to reward mitigation through discounts, renewals and new policy sales. We’re grateful to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for helping fund this resource, and to the Rose Foundation for helping us reach vulnerable populations.

Now is the time to pitch in. Your community should strive to be Firewise and have a Fire Safe Council. You and your neighbors need to be in a preparedness state of mind. Let’s do this!