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Now’s The Time For Clients To Think About Wildfire Threat The last several years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of buildings destroyed by wildfire. Why your clients need to start protecting their homes before wildfire season. By Adam Graham
W
ildfire is a constant threat to thousands of homes in many regions of the country each year. Due to the spontaneous nature of wildfire and its ability to spread not only through the natural environment, but also from home to home, homeowners must prepare for the worst-case scenario. With the exception of 2019, the last several years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of structures destroyed by wildfire, meaning the threat would appear to only be getting worse. I interviewed John Bailey, professor of silviculture and fire management at Oregon State University, and Randy Cowling, president of WASP Manufacturing, in order to understand 42
the best ways to protect a home from being destroyed by wildfire.
In Which States Are Homes Most At Risk?
First, it’s useful to be aware of where the biggest threats are being faced. Using statistics gathered from Headwaters Economics, we can see that many states are affected by wildfire in some capacity. Yet the overwhelming majority of structures destroyed by wildfire have been in California, with 59,987 homes or buildings
InsuranceNewsNet Magazine » February 2022
wiped out between 2005 and 2020, which is over 67% of all structures destroyed by wildfire across the country in the same time frame. Texas (5,252), Oregon (4,363), Colorado (3,158) and Washington (2,559) round out the rest of the five most affected states. However, it is worth noting that many thousands of structures have been affected across a great number of states. August is the month when wildfires are often at their peak. As of August 2021, California fire officials reported there were already
Cost to Install or Replace Siding
Source: Fixr.com
