Tag Archives: fire

Nature’s Wrath – Are You Prepared for Damage from a Natural Disaster

Posted on July 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

You’ve probably seen TV footage showing the aftermath of natural disasters: trees tossed through roofs by windstorms, homes burned to the ground by wildfire, living rooms underwater after a flood. First you feel sympathy, then concern. What if something like that happened to you? Would your homeowners insurance policy cover the damage?

What is the value of your home when a disaster hits? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions

The answer is . . . maybe. Insurance coverage for damage caused by such events varies widely, depending on where you live and what kind of coverage you’ve purchased. For example, your aunt who lives five minutes away might live in a flood zone and be required to carry flood insurance, but you might not.

The best way to determine what coverage you have—and need—is to talk with your insurance agent. To help you start that conversation, here’s a guide to typical disaster-related insurance coverage.

Fire
Nearly all homeowners policies cover fire damage, whether caused by a lightning strike, kitchen fire, or wildfire. However, some cover the entire cost to rebuild your home to current standards regardless of the rebuilding cost, and others cover only up to a specific limit. If you’ve built an addition or remodeled since your policy was originally purchased, ask your agent to make sure you have adequate coverage to rebuild. Also, ask about loss-of-use coverage, which would help pay for additional living expenses while your home is being rebuilt or repaired.

Flood
If you live in a flood-prone area, your mortgage lender probably requires you to carry flood insurance. Most home insurance carriers, including the Auto Club’s insurance affiliate, do not write flood insurance.

Instead, you must buy coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which works with private insurers that sell and administer the flood policies for the NFIP in participating cities and counties. NFIP insurance covers damage to your home and its contents only in specific situations—when inland waters overflow, for example. More information is available from the National Flood Insurance Program website.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Not Too Soon to Prep for Wildfires

Posted on March 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

PALA — We’re coming off a big rain, the hills are green, and the weather is pleasant, but the firefighting community wants everyone to remember what could be waiting around the seasonal corner.

And to be prepared.

At the Pala Casino Spa Resort this week, more than 100 fire professionals are meeting at the 2012 Interagency Wildland Fire Prevention, Education and Mitigation Conference.

Simply put, the conference is to teach professionals how to teach the community how to prepare for a major wildland fire.

The message: prepare now when the fire danger is low so that come summer and fall, when flames are scorching the earth, measures to minimize or prevent damage will already be in place.

“People come and go in San Diego,” said Hylton Haynes, an associate project manager for Firewise Communities, a national nonprofit organization.

“It’s a military town. Not everyone is aware of where they are living. Continuing to do this public outreach is critical.”

“A lot of people are aware of the danger, but they don’t understand that they can reduce the danger to themselves by just doing some landscaping and moving a wood pile,” added Pat Durland, founder of Stone Creek Fire, which has the same basic goals of fire safety as Firewise.

“We’re trying to move from the conceptual danger to removing the risk … and that doesn’t happen until they move the wood pile,” Durland said.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs organized the conference, and it’s being attended by tribal, state and federal fire officials, as well as others such as insurance company representatives.

For information about how to prepare, go to firewise.org, firesafecouncil.org, or stonecreekfire.com.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

National Fire Prevention Week – Are You Ready?

Posted on September 20, 2011 | 1 comment

October 9 to 15 is officially Nation Fire Prevention Week. A home fire is reported every 87 seconds.

An appraiser when doing an inspection does not do a building inspection but will check for Safety, Security and Soundness. Contact the appraisers at www.socalappraisalserv.com for questions on the 3s or if you have questions regarding a FHA loan inspection.

Here is what you can do to prevent a fire and if worst case scenario evacuate your family if one ignites.

Have a working smoke alarm on each floor. Check and test the batteries every 6 months. If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old replace it with a model that has photoelectric and ionized sensors.
Keep fire extinguishers handy. Keep fire extinguishers where blazes are more likely to start such as the kitchen and garage. Check expiration dates and get canisters serviced annually.
Check for potential hot spots. Every month, walk inside and outside your home, looking for conditions that could spark a blaze (an overloaded outlet or combustibles leaning against a potential igniter). Check your dryer for lint build-up and clear the filter after each use.
Make an escape plan – and practice.
Create a fire survival kit, and make sure everyone knows where to find it in an emergency.
Reach out to your local fire department. They have experts on staff who will visit your house and look for potential problems, such as building code violations that could be fires waiting to happen.