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Think about the unthinkable...then you will be better prepared to financially survive it.
Carole Walker, RMIIA

Wildfire

Colorado Wildfire Information

For those impacted by the 2024 Colorado Wildfires, please use the below links for more information :

Wildfire is a growing threat in the Rocky Mountain Region, where population is booming in the mountains and foothills. People don't always realize the dangers of living in the Red Zones (dangerous wildfire areas). They move to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico for the breathtaking views, but they don't always see the potential for losing their homes to wildfire. Homeowners need to be aware of the steps they should take to prevent wildfire AND be aware of the insurance impact before moving or building in high-risk areas.

Want a quick and easy way to check if you’re wildfire ready? Take the survey and explore your preparedness as you navigate your way around our virtual home. Get instant ideas to take your to-do list to the next level so you can plan ahead before the embers fly. You can also visit disastersafety.org/wildfireready for FAQs and more ways to protect you and your family from wildfire. Click here to go to IHBS to see how to download their wildfire app.

 

Cost of Wildfire

The most costly wildfire in Colorado history is the December 30, 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County and while recovery is still in progress insured preliminary insured damage estimates top at least $2 billion with 1,089 lost and 149 significantly damaged. The Marshall Fire raged through Superior, Louisville and unincorporated Boulder County pushed by more than 100 mile per hour straight line winds destroying suburban neighborhoods in less than 24 hours. 

The 2020 wildfire season was the most active wildfire year on record across the west with the 3 largest wildfires in Colorado history and 5 of the 6 largest in California history. While the rebuilding process continues for Colorado's two largest fires, damage estimates for the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak fire now total $614 million ($682 in 2022 dollars) from insurance claims that include smoke damage, additional living expenses, damaged and destroyed homes, as well as personal belongings and vehicles. The October 2020 East Troublesome Fire in Grand County is the second most costly Colorado wildfire with estimated insured losses totaling $543 million ($603 in 2022 dollars) resulting from approximately 1,602 homeowner and auto insurance claims filed. Officials put the number of destroyed homes at 366.

The Waldo Cayon Fire in Colorado Springs burned 346 homes and based on 6,648 claims filed, the insurance costs are estimated at $453.7 million ($568 in 2022 dollars) The High Park Fire near Fort Collins burned 259 homes, and based on the 1,293 insurance claims filed, the insurance costs are estimated at $113.7 million ($142 in 2022 dollars).

Previously, the most expensive wildfire in Colorado state history was the September 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire that burned 169 homes and other personal property in the foothills just northwest of Boulder. Damage estimates totaled $217 million ($286 million in 2022 dollars) from insurance claims that included smoke damage, additional living expenses, damaged and destroyed homes, as well as personal belongings and vehicles.

The overall estimated cost of the 2002 Colorado wildfire season including the Iron Mountain, Coal Seam, Missionary Ridge and Hayman Fires was $70.3 million in insured losses ($112 million in 2022 dollars). Companies took in about 1,236 claims for the Hayman and Missionary Ridge Fires at an estimated cost of $56.4 million ($90 million in 2022 dollars). The insurance industry estimates the Cerro Grande Fire in Los Alamos cost approximately $140 million in insured damage in May 2000 ($223 million in 2022 dollars), making it the most costly wildfire in New Mexico's history.

Nationally, The Camp Fire, the deadliest and costliest wildfire in U.S. history, began on Nov. 8, 2018, killing 85 people and causing $8.47 billion in insured losses in Butte County, California. (Source: California Department of Insurance). The insured loss dollar figure represents the payouts to customers as of May 2019 from the 28,118 auto, residential, and commercial property insurance claims generated from the Camp Fire event. The Insurance Information Institute estimates insurance losses will total $10.5 billion. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2019/11/06/547719.htm

Previously, the most costly fire in terms of insured losses was the 2017 Tubbs fire which caused $8.7 billion in insured losses (about $10 billion in 2022 dollars) and 2018 Woosley Fire at $4.2 billion (about $4.8 billion in 2022 dollars).

Catastrophic fires account for 1.5% of insurance losses. That compares to 39.1% for tornadoes, 40.8% for hurricanes and tropical storms, 6.2% for terrorism, 6.8% for winter storms, .1% for earthquakes and 5.4% for wind/hail damage (as reported by the Insurance Information Institute).

As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.

Wildfire insurance costs hinge on a number of factors, including the number of primary homes in the area (as compared to vacation homes and cabins), their estimated value and the amount of insurance coverage on the properties.

Colorado Wildfire Insurance Costs

Year Fire Insured Loss ($ Millions) 2022 Dollars ($ Millions)*
2021 Marshall Fire, Boulder County $2 Billion $2.1 Billion
2020 East Troublesome Fire, Grand County $543 $603
2012 Waldo Canyon, Colorado Springs $453.70 $568
2013 Black Firest, near Colorado Springs $420.5 $518
2010 Fourmile Canyon, northwest of Boulder $217.0 $286
2012 High Park, near Fort Collins $113.7 $142
2020 Cameron Peak $71 $78
2002 Hayman, southwest of Denver $38.7 $61
2002 Missionary Ridge, near Durango $17.7 $28

*2022 estimated cost calculations based on the Consumer Price Index.

Top 10 costliest wildland fire in the United States ($ in billions)

Rank Date Name,Location Estimated insured loss dollars when occured Estimated insured loss in 2022 dollars
1 2018 Camp Fire, CA $10 $12.1
2 2017 Tubbs Fire, CA $8.7 $10.2
3 2018 Wossley Fire, CA $4.2 $4.8
4 1991 Oakland Fire $1.7 $3.5
5 2017 Atlas Fire, CA $3.0 $3.5
6 2020 Glass Fire $2.9 $3.2
7 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire $2.5 $2.7
8 2017 Thomas Fire, CA $2.2 $2.5
9 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire $2.2 $2.4
10 2021 Marshall Fire, CO $2 $2.1

1Property losses only for catastrophic fires. Effective January 1, 1997, ISO's Property Claim Services (PCS) unit defines catastrophes as events that cause more than $25 million in insured property damage and that affect a significant number of insureds and insurers. From 1982 to 1996, PCS used a $5 million threshold in defining catastrophes. Ranked on dollars when occurred. As of August 8, 2019. 2Adjusted for inflation through 2018 by the Insurance Information Institute using the GDP implicit price deflator. 3Insurance Information Institute estimate based on data from catastrophe risk modelers, reinsurance companies, the California Department of Insurance, and the Property Claims Services unit of Verisk Analytics. These estimates are preliminary because the organizations involved periodically resurvey the events, and the severity of losses and other factors create a high level of uncertainty surrounding the ultimate loss figures. Source: Insurance Information Institute, catastrophe risk modelers, reinsurance companies, the California Department of Insurance, the Property Claim Services® (PCS®) unit of ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® company, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Fighting Wildfire with Innovation - November 2019 paper by iii.org

Explore which communities have been threatened by nearby wildfires from 2000 to 2019.

• Nearly 2.000 communities saw a wildfire of 100+ acres burn within two miles between 2000 and 2019.

• Nine cities with more than 500,000 residents have been threatened by wildfires.

• Most homes are lost or damaged due to embers, which can travel a mile or more ahead of a wildfire front

* Communities can increase wildfire resiliency by hardening homes to ember ignitions.

VIEW an Interactive MAP - HERE

Taken from Headwaters Economics Website - www.headwaterseconomics.org

How can I slow down a wildfire headed toward my house?

Here is an interview with a homeowner who experienced the Fourmile Canyon Fire near Boulder, Colorado. Hear how he helped save his home. Video provided by State Farm.

Tips for helping prevent a wildfire from destroying 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 B" or better. Cover the chimney outlet and stovepipe with nonflammable screening no larger than half-inch mesh.

  • 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.

  • Check out additional resouorces on the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Firewise Communities website for homeowners.

  • Check out the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes interactive WildFIRE Wizard tool designed to help those in wildfire prone areas understand how landscaping, terrain and structural features increase or decrease a home's vulnerability during a wildfire. Input details about features including windows, doors, roof, exterior walls and landscaping and create a customized report that includes specific recommendations about how to reduce your home's potential to ignite during a wildfire.

Coloradans overwhelmingly consider wildfire mitigation an important personal responsibility of homeowners who live in high risk wildfire areas, and the majority of Coloradans feel there should be insurance consequences for those who refuse to take steps to protect their property from the threat of wildfire. A January 2015 statewide independent poll commissioned by the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association found that 96 percent of Coloradans said it is "very important" or "pretty important" for homeowners to undertake fire mitigation efforts. View complete 2015 poll results here.

How can I help firefighters save my home?

  • burned homeMake it easy for firefighters to get to your home. Roads need to be wide enough to accommodate fire trucks, and there has to be a place for them to turn around. Driveways and bridges must be strong enough to carry heavy emergency vehicles. Identify at least two ways to and from your house and make sure they're well marked. All access routes to your home should be free of low hanging tree branches and cleared of flammable vegetation at least 10 feet from roads and five feet from driveways.

  • Proximity to a quality fire department is also one of the greatest considerations that your insurance carrier will use in determining your homeowners insurance premium.

  • Maintain an emergency water supply that meets fire department standards, such as a community water hydrant system, a cooperative emergency storage tank with neighbors, or a minimum storage supply of 2,500 gallons on your property. If your water comes from a well, consider an emergency generator to operate the pump during a power failure. Clearly mark all water sources, and create easy access to your closest emergency water source.

Evacuation Tips

  • If you have time before you evacuate your family and pets (your family has an evacuation plan in place, right?), back your car into the garage, leave the key in the ignition, and close the garage door. Close windows and doors to the house, and close all inside doors.

  • Place a ladder against the front of the house.

  • If you have a combustible roof, wet it down or turn on roof sprinklers.

  • Turn off the gas at the meter and the butane tank.

  • Place fire fighting tools, such as 100 feet of pre-connected garden hose, a shovel, a rake, a bucket, and containers filled with water, in an accessible place.

For more information, please see Allstate's Wildfire Evacuation Tips: What Can You Do To Make Sure You're Ready?

In case of possible evacuation – only if you have enough warning – consider packing the following items:

  • Social Security cards
  • Driver's licenses
  • Credit cards
  • House deed
  • Vehicle titles
  • Marriage license
  • Birth certificates
  • Insurance policies
  • Home inventory list / photos
  • Health insurance cards
  • Prescription medications
  • Important personal computer information downloaded to disk
  • Valuable jewelry
  • Photographs
  • Home videos
  • Items with sentimental value, such as wedding dress or baby keepsakes
  • One week's worth of clothing
  • Pets with ID tags, carriers, and pet food

What should I do after a wildfire?

  • Residents evacuated from their homes should contact their insurance agents or companies immediately and let them know where they can be reached. As adjusters are allowed into the burned-out areas they will want to go in with their policyholders to assess the damage. Many companies will set up 24-hour emergency hotlines.

  • Company claims adjusters, many equipped with laptop computers and portable phones, will start writing checks over the next few days to pay the cost of temporary living expenses for people left homeless by the fires and to begin the rebuilding of damaged homes. Some companies will be opening special claims centers to assist their policyholders. Contact your agent or company if you need additional living expenses while you are out of your home.

  • Keep receipts. Out of pocket expenses during a mandatory evacuation are reimbursable under most standard homeowner policies.

  • Be prepared to give your agent or insurance representative a description of your damage Your agent will report the loss immediately to your insurance company or a qualified adjuster who will contact you as soon as possible to inspect the damage. Again, be sure to give your agent a number where you can be reached.

  • Take photos of the damaged areas These will help with your claims process and will assist the adjuster in the investigation.

  • Prepare a detailed inventory of all damaged or destroyed personal property. Be sure to make two copies-one for yourself and one for the adjuster. Your list should be as complete as possible, including a description of the items, dates of purchase or approximate age, cost at time of purchase and estimated replacement cost.

  • Make whatever temporary repairs you can . Cover broken windows, damaged roofs and walls to prevent further destruction. Save receipts for supplies and materials you purchase. Your company will reimburse you for reasonable expenses in making temporary repairs.

  • Secure a detailed estimate for permanent repairs to your home from a reliable contractor and give it to the adjuster. The estimate should contain the proposed repairs, repair costs and replacement prices.

  • Serious losses will be given priority . If your home has been destroyed or seriously damaged, your agent will do everything possible to assure that you are given priority.

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