Homeowner's Insurance: Wildfires

As summertime begins to close in, the rise of wildfires begins to increase in many parts of the country. In fact, it has been reported that the United States sees approximately 100,000 wildfires each year. And the result of these is more than four million acres of burnt land. So the question is, “what can you do to protect yourself against this?” More so, does your homeowner's insurance policy provide coverage?

Even though the western half of the United States is where most wildfires occur, it is important to remember that the other states are not safe. To protect yourself against this, you will want to make sure that your homeowner's insurance policy covers you for the replacement cost of your property as opposed to the cash value. This is especially true if you live in an area that is of high risk.

In most instances, a homeowner's insurance policy will provide coverage for the replacement or repair of your home. Additionally, some policies will also provide coverage for additional living costs if you are forced to live elsewhere due to damage. This would include money for things such as food and hotel bills.

Here are several tips that can help to keep your home safe from wildfires. Of course, there is no way to completely avoid this, but you should do your best to lower your risk.

1. Remove leaves from your yard, and keep thing such as sticks and debris from collecting on your roof. All of these things are “fuel” for wildfires.
2. Store firewood far away from your house. You do not have to get out of control with this, but a safe distance is important.
3. If possible, use fire resistant materials when building your home or adding on to it.
4. Leave plenty of room around your home so that firefighters can get in position if need be.

Finally, instead of hoping that you are never struck with a wildfire you should be proactive instead. In other words, review your homeowner's insurance policy to make sure that you are covered against this type of disaster.