Posted On: June 15, 2007, 12:29 pm CDT

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State Farm, Allstate and USAA all said they give homeowners an opportunity to fix problems but added that in the most severe cases, customers could be denied coverage if they don't comply.

"What do you do if that property's not yours? If they're demanding a 200-foot clearance, what if you own only 150 feet beyond your house?" said Karen Reimus, a San Diego attorney whose home burned in 2003.

With claims from Hurricane Katrina largely resolved, State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. saw profits climb 65 percent last year to $5.3 billion, while Allstate raked in profits of $5 billion.

The companies are the nation's first- and second-largest property-casualty insurers, respectively.

An industry analyst said the inspections fit into the larger shift by insurers away from catastrophe-prone areas after the devastating 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons.

"The hurricane seasons were huge, huge wake-up calls in terms of insurers realizing that they did not understand the risks that they had put on their books," said Donald Light, a senior analyst with Boston-based Celent. "Many insurers have been doing a lot of things to readjust that balance, and wildfires are a part of that picture."


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