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By Miriam RafteryPhoto: Cal-Fire/San Diego County Fire Authority Captain Thomas Shoots
June 27, 2024 (Jamul) – Soaring and often inaccessible fire insurance rates, new defensible space mandates for the five feet closest to structures, and how to form fire-wise communities were among the hot topics discussed at the Jamul-Dulzura Fire Safe Council meeting on June 11. Speakers Sharon Smith, outreach analyst with the Calif. Dept. of Insurance, and Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Captain Thomas Shoots provided insights including:
- Why are fire and homeowners’ insurance rates so high—if it’s available at all?
- What’s being done to make fire insurance more accessible and affordable for homeowners and businesses?
- What should property owners know about new “zone zero” defensible space requirements?
- How can you join with neighbors to form a “Firewise USA Community” to improve safety and lower insurance rates?
Why are insurers leaving California?
Smith provided background on why so many insurance companies are leaving California, forcing many property owners to shift to the FAIR plan, California’s insurer of last resort.
Inflation has created unprecedented market stress, raising the costs of construction, rebuilding, and auto parts, for example. Reinsurance rates—insurance for insurance companies—has also risen, causing insurers to raise premiums on customers. Plus risks are growing, with losses from natural disasters up.
“California has too much risk for insurers to take on, so companies are leaving,” said Smith. The top 12 insurance companies own 85% of California’s insurance market, and seven of those 12 have restricted writing new policies here.
Prop 103, passed by voters in 1988, required insurers to apply for rate increases with the Dept. of Insurance to determine if the rate hikes are justified. For years, insurers applied for 6.9% increases, since 7% would have triggered a public hearing. But now the companies are asking for much more—such as State Farm, which is seeking a 28.1% increase. Prop 103 also introduced an intervenor process, which gives consumers a potential voice in court to challenge rate changes, but also causes long delays in the process.
What’s being done to make insurance more affordable and accessibleThe Dept. of Insurance is working to modernize the insurance market and plans by December to have a California Sustainable Insurance Strategy in place that makes insurance accessible for Californians, resilient, and sustainable for climate change.
It will prioritize insurance available for those in at-risk areas, if property owners have “done the right things” to reduce risk, says Smith (photo, right).
The state is also looking to change the law to allow insurers to use catastrophic (CAT) modeling that is used by all other states but not in California due to Prop 103. That means insurers can only use the past 20 years of data, rather than mitigation and a forward-looking approach.
These reforms will be the largest insurance reforms in California in the past 34 years.
What can you do now?
If you have insurance or are getting rate quotes, you can ask for your Wildfire Risk Score, the requirements your insurance has (each company has different rules) and appeal their ruling.
If you can’t get insurance, you can apply for California’s FAIR plan. Since last August, the FAIR plan has begun to offer discounts in some cases, as well as made up to $20 million in coverage available for commercial properties, not just homeowners.
Discounts on the FAIR plan are available for homeowners who have taken fire-wise steps such as installing class A roofing and ember-resistant attic vents.
It’s also critical to create defensible space around homes and other buildings such as sheds or accessory dwelling units.
Zone Zero: New requirements for 5 feet closest to homes
A new law creates “Zone Zero” for the first five feet around a structure in high-fire risk areas. View map to type in your address and see if your home is in a high-risk area. Zone zero requirements take effect later this year for new construction and next year for existing homes. The closest five feet to a home located in high-fire area must not include any plants or combustible materials such as mulch or wood fencing.
Captain Shoots says the new law has caused “pushback” from people who “don’t want the state telling them they have to rip out Grandma’s roses.”
But he showed a video that dramatically illustrated how much difference the Zone Zero steps can make. One shed was surrounded by hardscaping and a metal fence. The other had plants, mulch, and a food fence. The latter exploded in flames and burned almost instantly when exposed to embers, while the former did not burn.
Firewise USA Communities
If a neighborhood becomes a “Firewise USA Community” its members can receive a 15% discount under the FAIR plan.
Statewide, there are now 800 Firewise USA communities, including Alpine and Poway locally. It doesn’t have to be a city or county. A special district or even a neighborhood can qualify; Lyons Valley is currently working on becoming a Firewise USA Community.
“It’s absolutely attainable,” Capt. Shoots assured. A firewise community can be anywhere from 15 to 2500 homes, and not every home in the area has to participate. “A cohesive community can do it.” Some larger communities, such as Alpine, have split into two firewise communities.
Defensible space
Since we can’t control the weather or topography, the key is to reduce fuel—grass, trees, and mulch—and to fire-harden homes to be ember-resistant.
Zone zero, as mentioned, is the first 5 feet around a structure, which should be fully ember-resistant. Zone one is 5-50 from your home, other structures and decks. Keep shrubbery trimmed low and space out vegetation. Zone two is 50-100 feet; mow grass to four inches high or lower, create a10-foot buffer around wood piles, and be mindful of vertical spacing to avoid ladder fires burning into trees.
Harden your home
“The biggest and most effective thing you can do is get ember-resistant vents.” Grants are available for these.
Dual pane windows keep radiant heat out; never have cloth draperies on single-pane windows, which can ignite and burn from radiant heat during a fire.
Have a metal, composite shingle, clay or concrete tile roof—not wood.
Install hardscaping near homes, get rid of anything combustible below vents and near your home, use non-flammable materials where possible and if you have a wood deck, keep it painted and sealed to reduce risk.
Keep a fire extinguisher in your garage.
Fire season outlook
Captain Shoots displayed maps showing forecasts for high fire danger in September and October, when grasses fueled by heavy winter rains dry out and Santa Ana winds return.“We’re having fires every day,” he said, “but fuel is still green. Fire will get harder to stop and we need more resources.”
Evacuation tips
Fire officials are asking people to evacuate promptly, heed evacuation warnings and orders, and make sure your vehicle has plenty of gas—since a common problem is motorists running out of gas while trying to evacuate, obstructing others and putting lives at risk. “Even a small fire can be deadly, especially at night,” Shoots warned. Have an N-95 mask to wear to protect your lungs against smoke damage. If you don’t have one and must evacuate in a smoky environment, cover your mouth and nose with a T-shirt.
He advises everyone to have an evacuation plan, know the exit routes, have a go back for people and pets, have a plan to evacuate pets and livestock, create a family contact tree and a communications plan. Be sure your go-bag includes medications, insurance information, key documents, water and food for people and pets.
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