Wildfires are quickly getting worse and worse in California. If you feel you’re the only one who is getting canceled or non-renewed due to your home being in a high-risk wildfire area, you certainly are not alone! Because the wildfires were so devastating and came so quickly, they caused an overwhelming amount of unexpected claims. This is when insurance carriers started doing non-renewals and quadrupling insurance rates.

Insurance carriers determine your home a high brush wildfire risk by looking at the following: public protection class score, fire line score, and if your home is located in a “Shia”.

SHIA AREA

If your home is located in a “Shia”, AKA, a Special Hazard Interface Area, it means that your home is a border to neighborhoods that have a high fire line score. The home has the potential to be highly exposed to wind embers and high heat making it a higher risk. If your home is located in a SHIA area, there are some guidelines insurance carriers may have you follow to be deemed insurable:

• Instead of the 3ft clearance for trees hanging over your roof, it is a 15ft vertical clearance
• Fences and playground equipment are not allowed within 30ft of your home
• No bushes, shrubs, or dead/dying plants within 30ft of your house
• Brush has to be cleared up to the property line or 100ft (whichever is less) of your home
• Overhangs must be boxed or enclosed with non-flammable materials
• Propane tanks must be stored at least 30ft away from your home
• No vegetation within 10ft of the propane tank
• Chimneys, gutters, etc. must have an opening no bigger than 1/4 inch
• Roofs may not be made of wood

Fire Line Score

A fire line score is determined by the ISO or Insurance Service Office and is assigned to each property. The ISO provides information about wildfire risk and evaluates areas to see how well they could handle a fire. Fireline scores most commonly fall between 1-10, but scores do go all the way up to 30. The higher the score, the riskier your home is to a wildfire.

• Fireline score 13-30 extreme wildfire risk
• Fireline score 4-12 high fire risk
• Fireline score 2-3 moderate wildfire risk
• Fireline score 0-1 low fire risk

A fire line score above moderate risk is usually denied by most insurance carriers and it can become difficult to find a standard homeowners policy. High fire line scores are usually insured by the California Fair Plan with a DIC policy. The California Fair Plan covers your home from fire damage only. Whereas a DIC, or Difference In Conditions covers the liability and water damage portion of a homeowners policy. When you put the Fair Plan and the DIC together, it is kind of like having a normal homeowners policy that you were not able to get before because of your home’s wildfire risk.

The ISO looks at a couple of different factors to get your fire line score including land, brush, and access.

Access: This is basically how easy it is for the fire department to get to your home in an event of a wildfire. Is the road big enough for a fire truck to reach it? Is the road paved or is it a dirt road? How far away is the main road to exit? How many different entrances are there to your home? All these factors are taken into consideration when the ISO determines your fire line score. If your property is difficult to get to or can not be seen from the main street, then your home could be deemed ineligible in just that alone.

Brush: Brush is what the fire clings onto. Without brush, there would not be much of a fire, it is what feeds the fire. Brush, trees, and vegetation within .25-1 mile can catch on fire. The rule of thumb is brush that is within 100-2500 feet of the home, insurance carriers deny.

Land: Fire moves faster or slower depending on the land your home is surrounded by and on. Wind pattern, slope, and terrain all factor into the score.

Side Note On California Fair Plan

Unity One Insurance has written many policies through the Fair Flan. We know exactly how to navigate through the site and get you the right coverage by combining it with a DIC. Claims with the California Fair Plan are actually pretty simple, but there are some things you need to know that most will not tell you. Everything that you may want to claim has to be documented! Photos and receipts are a must! Keep receipts and photos in a cloud or a safe place that is off the premise of the property. In the case of the terrible event of a fire, you will need to provide proof of your belongings, so start taking photos and keep those receipts!

Public Protection Class (PPC)

This is another scoring system that the ISO uses to assess your home’s wildfire risk. The scoring is from 1-10. One being the lowest risk and ten being the highest risk. Public protection class ratings are determined by your local fire department, accessibility to water, and distance.

Accessibility to water: Water supply near the home. How much is available? Is it enough to put out a wildfire? What is the condition of the hydrants around your home?

Fire Department: How many fire stations are available? How are their communication and emergency reporting? What are their training procedures and how is their staff? Basically the quality of your local fire department and their equipment.

Distance: Distance to a responding fire department and the distance from the nearest fire hydrant affect the PPC score and the pricing of the California Fair Plan. Being within 5 miles of a fire department and having the nearest fire hydrant being less than 1,000 feet away is preferred. Being over 5 miles or over 1,000 feet will cause your premiums on the California Fair Plan to increase and your PPC score to also increase.

The market is changing rapidly and we understand that it can be very frustrating. Some of you had never had a wildfire even relatively close to your home and it feels upsetting that you are being penalized for it. Do not fret, we are here for you and we are on your side. We use “home” as a general term, but we do this for all kinds of properties and situations. Homes, condos, landlords, renters, and commercial properties are what we do as well, and have a vast amount of experience in each of these! Your Orange County Insurance Broker insures properties all over California located in high-risk brush fire areas!