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Rocky Mountain Insurance Information
NEWS
6565 South Dayton St. #2400, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
Serving Colorado, New Mexico, Utah & Wyoming
Contact: Carole Walker, Executive Director
(303) 790-0216 or 1-800-355-9524
Release Date: Immediately
Topic: Catastrophes
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES ARE A WAKEUP CALL TO TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT PROPERTY & FINANCIAL FUTURE.
October 27, 2003 - The devastation caused by this week's California wildfires is another warning to Colorado homeowners that they need to be prepared for the unthinkable. While Colorado was extremely fortunate to have escaped the 2003 wildfire season unscathed by destructive wildfires, residents need to watch the flames in California with an eye toward their own future. "The lives and homes lost in California this week are a deadly reminder of what could just as easily occur in any community here in Colorado," cautions Carole Walker, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. "People are already starting to forget the state's destructive 2002 wildfire season and this is a wake up call that when you're in the path of a wildfire, it's often too late to take the necessary steps protect yourself and your property."
The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association offers recommendations to safeguard your property and help make sure you have enough insurance to replace your home and personal belongings:
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR HOME
- Create a 30-foot defensible space around your home by removing as much flammable material as you can. Replace flammable vegetation with fire resistive plants.
- Reduce the number of trees in heavily wooded areas by spacing native trees and shrubs at least 10 feet apart. On trees taller than 18 feet, prune lower branches within six feet of the ground.
- Remove branches overhanging the roof or coming within 10 feet of the chimney. Clean all dead leaves and needles from the roof, gutters, and yard.
- Install a roof that meets a fire classification of "Class A." Cover the chimney outlet and stovepipe with nonflammable screening no larger than half-inch mesh.
- Some Colorado communities have a ban on wood roofs and most insurance companies either have a surcharge or percentage deductible on wood roofs, which are considered flammable and non-hail resistive.
- Install dual- or triple-paned windows, and limit the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
- Put woodpiles and liquid propane gas tanks at least 30 feet from all structures and clear away flammable vegetation within 10 feet of those woodpiles and propane tanks.
KNOW WHAT IS & ISN'T COVERED BY INSURANCE
- The typical homeowners insurance policy covers damage resulting from fire, windstorm, hail, water damage (excluding flooding), riots and explosion as well as other causes of loss, such as theft and the extra cost of living elsewhere which the structure is being repaired or rebuilt.
- Homeowners need to do annual insurance policy "check ups" to make sure they keep up with local building costs and have adjusted their coverage to include home remodeling and additions.
- If you don't have replacement coverage, consider spending a few extra dollars for coverage that pays for the cost of replacing the damaged property without deduction for depreciation.
- Your policy also covers your legal liability (up to policy limits) if you, members of your family or even your pets hurt other people or their property, not just in your house, but away from it, as well.
MAKE A HOME INVENTORY
- Before a wildfire threatens and you're faced with a loss, make a home inventory that includes lists, pictures or a videotape of the contents of your home. Having an up-to-date home inventory will help you get your insurance claim settled faster, verify losses for your income tax return and help you purchase the correct amount of insurance.
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Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association is a non-profit consumer information organization. Affiliated with the Insurance Information Institute, RMIIA has been serving consumers and the media since 1952.
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