Are disasters in California happening more frequently or are communication technological advances today making us more aware of impending and hard hitting disasters?
To really comprehend, we must examine how our state has grown in the past 15 years.
By 2,010 the State Fire Marshal predicts at least one million more homes will be built in high fire prone or wildland urban interface areas. The interface increases the likelihood of human-caused fires and increases local and state costs due to the frequency with which firefighting resources must be diverted from fighting fires on the wildland line to protect lives and homes. This makes fire prevention programs even more important in the wildland-urban interface areas of California.
The vast majority of the population is still drawn to our cities and suburbs where urban sprawl has become commonplace.
We can revisit disasters beginning with the Oakland Hills fires in 1991 to get an idea of what has been happening in California. Over 3,000 homes burned with claims costs reaching $1.7 billion. Insurers learned some very important lessons from these tragic fires.
First, there was not enough communications between insurance companies and their policyholders about what to expect when a disaster strikes.
Second, clearing brush and making sure residences had at least 30 feet of defensible space was not the norm prior to the fires.
Third, there is a real need for roads that are wide enough to allow easy access for emergency and fire equipment.
Fourth, it is critical to have ample water and water pressure in a fire zone.
Fifth, fire safety features in home construction and existing homes can save lives and properties.
These lessons became critical in the 1993 fires that struck Southern California that caused more than $700 million in insurance claims. An example of how insurance companies and policyholders can work together was displayed in the Laguna Beach fire that year. In Laguna Beach, 441 homes were destroyed or severely damaged when 16,682 acres burned.
A catastrophe team was organized by the community and data was gathered to apply to a long-term strategic plan of preventing fire catastrophes in the future. The group mapped the city for mitigation activity and then studied fire retardant vegetation in order to re-seed throughout the area to protect homes in the event of future fires.
Representatives from homeowners, businesses and insurance companies are still working together today to implement fire prevention activities through a local Fire Safe Council. Laguna Beach is a great example of what can be achieved when the community works together to prevent fires.
It wasn’t but just a little over a year before the mother of disasters–an earthquake–struck Northridge on Jan. 17, 1994. It claimed 61 lives and when the insurance losses were finally tallied, it cost more than $15.3 billion. The claims total equaled four times more than was collected in earthquake premiums for the previous 25 years leading up to Northridge.
The Northridge quake changed earthquake coverage in California forever. The homeowners’ insurance market nearly collapsed as insurers realized they could no longer offer earthquake insurance in addition to the homeowners’ policy as required by law.
A new entity was created out of the Northridge quake, the California Earthquake Authority. Earthquake policies from CEA participating insurance companies were placed in the CEA. Today, nearly 10 years since the CEA was enacted as a public/private earthquake insurance company, it has been given an A- rating from the A.M. Best Company and is financially able to withstand three Northridge quakes back-to-back.
We were reminded again of the fragile environment and the immense resources required to handle a California disaster when in late October, early November 2003, 14 wildfires struck Southern California. It took 14,000 firefighters from the state, federal and local fire departments to quash the flames.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention reported “never in California history were so many homes and lives in danger by fire at one moment. By the time the major fires were extinguished, 25 lives were lost, 3,710 homes were totally destroyed and 750,043 acres were blackened. In addition, countless miles of power lines were damaged, communication systems destroyed, watersheds reduced to bare scorched soils and thousands of people were forced into evacuation centers, unsure if they would have a home to return to–many did not.”
Today, more than 2,600 building permits have been issued in the inland cities and counties that experienced the 2003 fires. There is no question that fires will rage again across Southern California because of where these homes are being built or remodeled.
With the interest in insuring homes in these areas, homeowners’ insurance companies will be closely examining these areas to see if newly passed laws dealing with brush clearance, stronger building codes and fire retardant vegetation are being implemented.
Fire safety legislation
SB 1369, a bill supported by the Personal Insurance Federation of California, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuehl and signed into law in 2004, requires that homes in wildland-urban interface areas must have 100 feet of brush clearance. This law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2005.
In addition, the State Fire Marshal is working on a two-phase program to upgrade fire retardant materials for construction of new homes and older homes remodeled after adoption of the rules by the California Housing Code Commission.
AB 1718, by Assembly Member Mountjoy and sponsored by the PIFC, would require the State Fire Marshal to recommend stronger fire protection materials for roof eaves, chimneys, sub-floors and stoves in residences built or remodeled in wildland-urban interface areas of California. The requirement, if enacted this year, would go into effect in July, 2006.
SB 502 by Senator Christine Kehoe is another fire prevention bill dedicated to saving lives and property. This bill, joined to AB 1718, addresses fire retardant vegetation planting around residences in wildland-urban interface areas.
Since the 2003 fires, the Legislature has responded by passing legislation addressing fire safety recommendations made by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Committee. The Committee was appointed to study the 2003 fires aftermath and make recommendations to the Legislature to enact into law to help prevent fires and better protect homeowners who live and work in wildland-interface areas of the state.
Councils helping to ease fire risks
The first FireSafe Council concept in California was formed in 1993 in Sacramento. Its founder, Bruce Turbeville, then an officer with CDF, brought representatives of state, federal and local fire and business organizations together to work toward implementing fire safety and fire prevention programs in the greater Sacramento area.
The California FireSafe Councils are more than 100 strong today. Their mission is to preserve and enhance California’s man-made and natural resources by providing leadership and support that mobilizes all Californians to protect their homes, communities and environment from wildfires.
Since its formation, FireSafe Councils have united through diverse memberships to speak with one voice on fire safety. The Councils have distributed fire prevention education materials to local homeowners, fire departments, local government, and industries throughout the state.
The Councils have evaluated legislation and local ordinances pertaining to fire safety and empowered grassroots organizations to spearhead fire safety programs. There are over 50 public and private organization members of the FireSafe Councils. Links to the organizations can be found on the FireSafe Council Web site at www.firesafecouncil.org.
The 2005 fire season is well underway and due to the heavy rains in January through April, we have not seen a serious disaster.
However, the CEF warns that much of the brush that was destroyed in the 2003 fires has grown back and with the hot July and August we have experienced throughout the state, wildfires will be a major concern as we go into late September and October, the two most threatening months of the year.
California communities at risk from fire
The California Fire Alliance, comprised of all land and fire safety government organizations, has undertaken a survey of the state’s communities that are at risk from fire. Three main factors were used to determine wildland fire threat to wildland-urban interface areas of the state:
To view the 1,283 California communities at risk, go to the CDF Web site at www.cafirealliance.org/communitiesatrisk and click on communities at risk. Of the 1,283 communities, 843 are adjacent to federal lands (USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense, etc.), and are indicated as such with an “F” in the Federal Threat column. The Hazard Level Code included on the list designates a community’s fire threat level with the number 3 indicating the highest threat.
By placing the emphasis on what needs to be done long before a fire starts, pre-fire projects are meant to reduce fire fighting costs and property losses, increase firefighter safety, and to contribute to ecosystem health. Such actions as prescribed fires, fuel breaks, defensible space around homes, forest management, mechanical means, and fire safe landscaping are proven methods of reducing wildfire destruction. It is important for Californians living within the state’s wildland areas to understand the need for pre-fire activities.
With today’s technology we know now that the ground in California moves and shakes every day of the year. We’ve had a few close calls in recent months with shakes in Paso Robles and off the coast near Eureka which actually resulted in a Tsunami warning.
We also know, according to CDF, that more than 90 percent of wildfires are extinguished before they grow to five acres. However, CDF warns that two percent of the fires get away and burn vast acres of the state. That two percent accounts for 90 percent of the acreage burned. Cities, counties and states must work together to develop a policy of removing dangerous brush and fuels before the fires start. We must also work within local and state laws to make sure that when developments are planned, consideration of fuel load, access, water and fire retardant building materials and vegetation are a part of all home developments.
Topics California Catastrophe Carriers Legislation Wildfire Homeowners Earthquake
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