Tag: california fires

Mercury Insurance seeks to dispel California wildfire myths

H. Cutner
Wildfire Myths - forest fire

The season is lining up to be a record breaking one and the insurer hopes residents will inform themselves. Mercury Insurance has taken to its newsroom and has enlisted the help of expert Douglas Kent in the hopes of helping Californians to dispel some of the most commonly believed wildfire myths. As the blazes are being accepted as a normal part of living in the state, residents need the facts. The first among the wildfire myths that was addressed right away in the insurance company’s recent publication on its site…

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California wildfire victims worried that they can’t afford to go home

Logan B.
california wildfire victims angry frustrated

As the holidays approach, evacuees whose homes were burned are left with little more than uncertainty. Santa Rosa, California wildfire victims are facing a very uncertain future in the aftermath of the blaze. Evacuees whose homes are gone may not be able to afford to return to the same place they used to live. Rents have skyrocketed, with reports of apartments as expensive as $13,000 per month in Santa Rosa. Now, renters and homeowners alike are finding themselves to be common California wildfire victims who don’t know where they will…

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California wildfire damage threatens homes, wine country and lives

Julie Campbell
California wildfire damage

Mandatory evacuations were ordered over the weekend to protect residents whose properties are at risk. Firefighters continue to battle Northern California wildfire damage as the blazes continue to be stoked by local winds. Evacuation orders were issued to residents in the wine country area as the fires continue to blast their way across the region. Despite the best efforts of local officials, at least 10 people have already been reported as killed by the fires. Twenty thousand people are now headed away to seek shelter. At first, hundreds of the…

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Homeowners insurance rates spike as fire risk rises

Julie Campbell
California wildfire insurance fire season homeowners

Certain areas of California are watching their rates soar as wildfire smoke moves closer. Residents of California who are living near regions that have recently started facing increased wildfire risks are now discovering that their homeowners insurance has been heading skyward with the plumes of black smoke. The changing fire risk areas have forced many homeowners to see a doubling in their insurance rates. There are a number of different factors that have caused fire to become an increasing component in the homeowners insurance rates. The most obvious has been…

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Homeowners insurance renewal isn’t guaranteed for those near California wildfires

Julie Campbell
widlfire homeowners fire Insurance

Some policyholders are finding that their insurers are choosing not to allow coverage to continue. At the same time that many homeowners insurance customers are discovering the peace of mind that their policies can bring as the wildfires in California continue to creep ever closer to their homes, others are finding that if their policies are up for renewal, it may not be possible to continue their coverage. It is clear that this is a stressful time for the people living near the wildfires, and this is making it worse.…

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Massive Wildfire Burns More Than 140,000 Acres of Yosemite Wilderness

Guest Author
Yosemite Fire from space

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, a massive wildfire that started just over a week ago is currently racing along the remote northwest corner of Yosemite National Park. Dry, warm conditions and winds gusts between 15 to 30 mph are fueling the blaze, which is currently at 7% containment. The fire has already consumed more than 225 square miles of Yosemite’s wilderness-known to be some of the most beautiful in the world-and is threatening two groves of California’s iconic sequoia trees. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire…

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IBHS gives recommendations to protect from Southern California faces wildfires

Julie Campbell

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has released a statement reminding property owners in Southern California that the Santa Ana winds are bringing a serious risk of wildfires with them, and that certain precautions should be taken. The National Weather Service has announced that the region could be affected by another significant shove by the winds, which can gust at more than 60 miles per hour. According to an IBHS senior Scientist, Dr. Steve Quarles, “Santa Ana winds are generally warm and dry, creating tinderbox conditions, but…

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