COVER STORY
by George Paul
Getting Out Photo courtesy of The Orange County Register.
A firefighter tends to the Williamson family home during the Canyon 2 Fire in 2017.
Wildfire preparation has always been vitally important in Southern California, but now, in the midst of another drought, the need for homeowners to maintain proper fire insurance is greater than ever. Danny and Erin Williamson are longtime Anaheim Hills residents who lost their house during the Canyon 2 Fire in October 2017. Although their policy exceeded the recommended coverage, it still wasn’t enough. “We are constantly educating our clients about the need for adequate fire insurance,” says Danny Williamson, who along with his wife, Erin, have been residential Real Estate agents for more than 30 years and currently work with First Team Real Estate. “Many companies have dropped their policies in California because of the fires,” says Danny. That’s why the couple inform customers on “best policies and the need for additional insurance.”
The coverage the Williamsons had was beneficial and they were able to build a dream home, yet “we were still a couple $100,000 off. It had to come out of pocket,” Erin says. She pointed out four different categories to insure— the structure, personal belongings, out structure and code upgrades. When the Canyon 2 Fire happened, Erin returned home after a hike and received a friend’s text about a nearby fire. She didn’t see or smell anything but heard a loud popping sound and witnessed a helicopter refilling water from the reservoir. Upon walking outside, “I saw this giant ball of fire basically coming right at me.” Erin called her husband, grabbed their dogs and left. Danny, already on the way there, managed to retrieve some wall photos. “The neighborhood at that time was consumed by fire and smoke,” says Erin.
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