The wildfires pose a severe risk to California residents as they can cause extensive damage. So, you must have wildfire insurance in California to protect yourself from massive financial losses.
This blog discusses the reasons behind these frequent wildfires across the state, whether your home or condo insurance covers it, how to get coverage in areas with maximum occurrence of wildfires, and the measures you must take to control the extent of damage caused by it.
What Causes California Wildfires?
Wildfires are now a common occurrence in California state with 8,619 reported cases in 2021. These wildfires destroyed nearly 2.6 million acres. Among the factors that cause wildfires, humans are primarily responsible for most of these fires. According to a National Park Services study, among all the wildfires in the country, humans caused 85% of them. These fires started due to varied reasons such as:
- Deliberate arson
- Electric equipment malfunction
- Neglected campfire
- Unintentional but careless behavior
- Burning debris
The other major factor that causes California wildfires is lightning. The state’s hot and dry climate results in thousands of lightning strikes, simultaneously sparking multiple wildfires that lead to immense loss of property and land.
Coverage for Wildfires in Home Insurance
Your standard homeowner’s insurance provides wildfire insurance in California as it covers damages caused by a fire including wildfire. The different coverages in your policy cover the different types of damage that you may suffer.
- Dwelling Coverage
It covers repair and replacement costs to the structure of your home.
- Other Structure Coverage
It covers all the other structures that aren’t attached to the main house, such as the swimming pool, a detached garage, fences, and sheds.
- Personal Property Coverage
It covers damages to your personal belongings, such as furniture and furnishings, appliances, and clothing.
- Loss of Use Coverage
Loss-of-Use coverage also called additional living expenses, pays for hotel stays and other costs when you can’t live in your home due to a wildfire. It’s crucial in California, where wildfires often require temporary housing while your home is rebuilt. Policy limits are tied to your dwelling insurance but can be raised if needed.
Coverage for Wildfires in Condo Insurance
You may get wildfire insurance in California with your condo insurance. Similar to home insurance, it offers:
- Dwelling Coverage: Provides financial protection for the structure of your condo against damages caused by wildfires.
- Personal Property Coverage: Covers the cost of replacing or repairing personal belongings destroyed or damaged by wildfires.
- Liability Coverage: Protects you if someone is injured or their property is damaged in a wildfire-related incident within your condo.
- Additional Living Expenses: This covers temporary housing and related expenses if you need to evacuate your condo due to wildfires.
How to Get Insurance in Wildfire-Prone Regions?
- Due to the high risks involved, your insurance provider may deny or discontinue your home insurance policy if you reside in a wildfire-prone area. However, having wildfire insurance in California is a necessity. Your other options to buy insurance are: The FAIR Plan
- Surplus or excess line carriers
- Premier carriers
Ways to Prevent Wildfire Damage
You can minimize the extent of wildfire damage to your property by:
- Use non-flammable construction material
- Install windows with multi-pane tempered glass
- Clear the yard of dry leaves and overgrowth
- Grow fire-resistant hardwood trees
Protect Your Assets with Hoffman Brown Insurance!
Our wildfire insurance in California provides comprehensive protection to the residents of this state against damage to property and other assets caused by wildfires. The Hoffman Brown Company team is committed to prioritizing your financial security. For more details, contact us today.
