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Insurance Blog Week In Review August 8-14, 2007

Insurance Term Of The Week: Specialty Lines Insurance Wednesday August 8, 2007. Fire Safe Landscape Additions and Improvements Tips Homeowners have the obligation of protecting their home and personal property and to reduce the risk anyplace possible. It’s important to do routine maintenance and consider choice we make when landscaping to reduce the risk of fire. There are several Blogs about Fire Safe Landscaping. Thursday August 9, 2007. Fire Smart Landscape Maintenance Reminders One of the most expensive investments most people will ever make is purchasing a Home and what we do with our landscape and maintenance is an important … Continue reading →

Insurance Blog Week In Review July 18-23, 2007

Insurance Term Of The Week: Homeowner Insurance Forms If you have read any of my guest blogs in the Adoption or Special Needs parenting sections or know about my personal life at all hopefully you can forgive my obvious lack of work the past several months. I love this gig but the responsibility of parenting a special needs child is overwhelming sometimes! Let’s hope I can stay back on track and writing about the exciting topic of Insurance. I wish I was not cursed with a mind that thinks Risk Management all the time, it makes it difficult to go … Continue reading →

Firewise Landscaping: Trees

There isn’t much a homeowner can do to reduce their risk of loss caused by earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. When it comes to wildfire however, there are several ways homeowners can protect their homes from fire. Wildfires occur no matter our best efforts and keeping a wildfire away from your home starts with your landscaping. Homeowners may want to talk with their insurance agent or state agricultural college for tips and advice about fire resistant landscaping. In many cases insurance companies will inspect for defensible space and firewise risk management before issuing or renewing a homeowner insurance policy. Trees on … Continue reading →

Landscaping To Reduce Wild Fire Risks For Homeowners.

It’s spring and the time of the year many of us feel the urge to get out in the yard and start cleaning things up for the upcoming summer. Spring tasks need to be done to make our yards pretty for the summer BB Q’s and hot afternoons that lay ahead. It’s also a great time to think about risk management and using landscaping maintenance and choices to lower any fire risks our home may now have. A well-designed and properly maintained area around a home or building offers a “defensible space“ This is the area of landscaping where homeowners … Continue reading →

Beating the Odds During Wildfire

I have family and friends living in several areas of Southern California. Memories of my past went up in flames during the disaster we have witnessed this week. I know people who have lost everything. My brother faced evacuation Wednesday night. My sister-in-law wasn’t able to come home from work on Tuesday night, the main Interstate 15 was closed. As a child my family lived near Lake Arrowhead. During the early 1980’s my brother and ex-husband did a lot of the electrical construction work on hundreds of homes built in the new community of Rancho Bernardo. One day I hope … Continue reading →

When Disasters Affect Animals: California’s Wildfires

Yesterday Wayne Pacelle, the President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, sent out an email updating HSUS supporters about the wildfires in California. Animals Affected His email painted a dire picture of the firestorms sweeping the southern portions of the state that rapidly caused hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. We’re talking homes of every sort, from ones in subdivisions to ones on farm and ranch lands, modest abodes to ones owned by celebrities. This means that domestic pets as well as wildlife and livestock are in peril. “Some areas hardest hit by these fires … Continue reading →

Fire Smart Landscape Maintenance Reminders

The landscape around a home or structure is a constantly changing and a very dynamic system. Even those plants which are considered fire resistant and have a lower fuel volume need to be maintained and cared for so they won’t lose their fire safe qualities. One of the most important maintenance steps is to first understand the growth habits of the plants you have on your property. Learn about the changes the plants have during the seasons and when maintenance is most needed to reduce the fuel volume in the area. Remove any dead growth on bushes, plants and trees. … Continue reading →

Fire Safe Landscape Additions and Improvements Tips

One thing some people forget is that the first step in managing personal risk is personal responsibility. Homeowners have important obligations to protect their assets and reduce the risk where possible. Every homeowner has the responsibility of planning additions and landscape with the natural risks in mind, and maintaining the home and property in a way to reduce the exposure to losses. When Considering Additions to your home or property keep these facts in mind: If a new deck or patio is planned consider using concrete, bricks or rock rather then wood. Concrete, rock, gravel, brick and stone don’t burn. … Continue reading →

Wildfire Evacuation Plan: When you have some warning.

In the last blog I wrote about the things we need to do if an evacuation is ordered and you must leave now. Sometimes, especially with wild fires, local officials may not advise an immediate evacuation but warn areas that an evacuation may happen because there’s a chance things may get worse. When you are asked to Stand By for an evacuation, consider this time valuable and take steps to protect your home and family. Protecting your house: Bring everything inside, including: Patio furniture, garbage cans, the kid’s toys, gardening equipment, hanging plants, and all the other things that may … Continue reading →

Wildfire Evacuation Plan: When the Order is Urgent!

It’s fire season again! In fact, it seems things are heating up and burning earlier this year and wildfires are impacting parts of the country normally considered to be a lower risk. As we enter the height of the 2007 fire season it‘s looking like more people will need to consider ways to protect their homes, mitigate their risk exposures and evacuate their properties. Evacuations are ordered by local government officials when disaster threatens an area. Local radio and television stations generally issue reports when a disaster threatens an area. When local officials ask you to evacuate, you need to … Continue reading →