Strategies for those in fire country? Building and landscaping modifications?

[2LaneCruzer]

You have no idea how "defeated" it made me feel when I realized that I could not stop a fire from burning my entire property, buildings, vehicles, etc, etc. As I sat up on the big 'ol bun that's just south of my property and watched the approaching wildfire - - reality really hit home.

I have appropriate and good insurance on everything and a good & quick escape plan. I now realize that under wildfire conditions - that's the very best I will be able to do.

My daughter and here husband bought a nine acre plot a few years back; the house had burned in a wildfire a couple years before. In looking at the home site, it seemed to me that even though there were a few trees close by, there were open fields on two sides, and roads on the other two sides. It seemed that it was highly unlikely that the home would have burned, but it did. Turns out the fire was so intense, that it created what they call a "fire storm", which destroyed anything in its path.

 

[KYErik]

Lots of great info here.

Home Insurance in wildfire prone areas- can you still have a reasonably priced regular home insurance policy that would cover an electrical fire but has exclusions for any wildfire damage?

Do small towns/communities ever petition for controlled burns on nearby public land (during the rainy season) to help reduce the buildup of fuel and lessen the threat of catastrophic future fire damage?

I know that controlled burns would affect the scenic view for a few months and may increase the risk of landslides...

 

[KYErik]

My daughter and here husband bought a nine acre plot a few years back; the house had burned in a wildfire a couple years before.

I'm curious, did they build a home on this property? It is a sad situation for the previous owner, but if a large fire recently burned through the area and burned most all of the built up fuel- perhaps there would be a greatly reduced chance that another large/hard to control fire would threaten that property for another 50 years or so- thus it might be a great time to build a house.

 

[plowhog]

Home Insurance in wildfire prone areas- can you still have a reasonably priced regular home insurance policy that would cover an electrical fire but has exclusions for any wildfire damage?

My insurance company is not writing any policies in high risk fire areas. By law they cannot cancel me, so I make sure to keep the premiums paid up on time. If I did get cancelled, I could probably not replace the insurance I have-- with any company.

 

[ultrarunner]

I don't know about in Nevada.

In California, it is heavily regulated. You can cut trees down without a permit if you don't sell them. If you want to sell them to a lumber mill, you need a CalFire permit. To obtain that permit takes months of effort to prepare the application. That application must be signed and approved by a Registered Professional Forester. If you don't have that, they will turn you around at the mill and not buy any logs from you.

There is also .... drum roll .... a timber tax! It's a special tax you pay on the sale of the logs.

CAL FIRE - Timber Harvesting Plan Review Process

And if you live in a city with lots of wildland/urban interface as I do a permit with public comment/hearing is required to remove a tree... I had to do this for a planted walnut tree in the backyard... the penalties are steep for not doing this... also, the tree company must have a city license to legally perform work...

There is an exemption for Eucalyptus and trees that the city has inspected and declared dead or severe decline...

 

[ultrarunner]

Lots of great info here.

Home Insurance in wildfire prone areas- can you still have a reasonably priced regular home insurance policy that would cover an electrical fire but has exclusions for any wildfire damage?

Do small towns/communities ever petition for controlled burns on nearby public land (during the rainy season) to help reduce the buildup of fuel and lessen the threat of catastrophic future fire damage?

I know that controlled burns would affect the scenic view for a few months and may increase the risk of landslides...

This issue with controlled burns is public outcry... both for the air pollution and habitat... plus... a few years ago a controlled burn got out of hand and several homes were lost... the public relation fiasco was a nightmare and cost plenty...

 

[ultrarunner]

My insurance company is not writing any policies in high risk fire areas. By law they cannot cancel me, so I make sure to keep the premiums paid up on time. If I did get cancelled, I could probably not replace the insurance I have-- with any company.

Same here... and going through the process within the last 60 days was sobering... and this is a property with fire house 1/2 mile away, municipal fire hydrant nearly on property, fire sprinklered inside and out, tile roof and stucco encased eves... only wood anywhere is a back set of steps to the kitchen door... etc.

I can only imagine it will be much worse now...

I was only able to find two conventional options after contacting all the companies I have had longstanding relationships with and never a loss going back 35 years...

I see a time where the State will issue fire insurance and private will cover the rest...

The foam systems really can work... same idea as what is used at an airport...

 

[dfkrug]

Had the PG&E subcontractor on the property today. They want to remove many trees, which is not new. What is new is they gave me a Utility Exemption Form that might let me legally sell logs to a lumber mill...

Wow, that's the first I have heard of that! Please report what you find out. I have pushed PG&E to cut more trees in my area, but getting rid of the logs is always a problem.

I have been thru the process of getting a Timber Harvest Permit from the State of CA to remove some large douglas fir trees. That was back in the 90s when I wanted to build my house on 19 acres of forested hills. I had to pay a registered Forester for a Timber Harvest Plan, after getting my application turned down to remove trees under a "Fire Hazard Exemption". I could have legally cut the trees and let them rot, but not sell them. That has got to change.

I was just talking to my neighbor yesterday about making his property more suitable for the local CalFire helicopter to land. I think the time is ripe for 3 things to change: 1) more incentives/promotions to rebuild burned structures with more fire-resistant materials (concrete, steel, stucco, etc.) 2) more undergrounding of power cables 3) bring back winter burning of brush piles (not allowed anymore in my county)

#3, and the laws against selling your own logs contribute to the unmanaged fire-prone forests around here.

As for my own house, it is concrete with Austrian metal Rolladen (shutters). I have my own fire hydrant and water supply and indoor sprinklers. I even bought Barricade, a gel that you spray on your roof to deal with falling embers. I have insurance, but the co does not care how the house is constructed.

 

[ultrarunner]

Sounds like you covered the bases...

Insurance may be something we look back on and say remember when it was simple.

Five minutes ago my agent contacted me with a Pending Cancellation Notice for a parking lot property...

This property has been continuously insured for decades with no loss history... it is a parking lot with a concrete block restroom and a small attendant shack...

The company in North Carolina says cancellation is dependent on inspection????

Agent said the underwriter is re-evaluating it's position in the California market...

The asphalt paving and the concrete block restroom does not support combustion... the attendant shack could burn and be replaced with a Tuff Shed...

I see more problems down the road... also, this commercial property has a municipal fire hydrant on property and fire house 400 yards away...

Here we go again.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I'm curious, did they build a home on this property? It is a sad situation for the previous owner, but if a large fire recently burned through the area and burned most all of the built up fuel- perhaps there would be a greatly reduced chance that another large/hard to control fire would threaten that property for another 50 years or so- thus it might be a great time to build a house.

No, they didn't. They have gone their separate ways and the land is about to be sold. It has increased substantially in value; the last few years the adjacent roads have been paved and the surround areas are rapidly being developed into housing additions.