Insurance Journal » wildfire http://www.insurancejournal.com Insurance Journal delivers the latest business news for the Property/Casualty insurance industry Sat, 25 May 2013 03:50:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Feds: Another Tough Wildfire Season For West http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/14/291831.htm Tue, 14 May 2013 16:15:53 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=291831 Fire officials are poised for a tough wildfire season after another dry winter across much of the West, and made more challenging because federal budget cuts mean fewer firefighters on the ground, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Monday. Jewell said …

The article Feds: Another Tough Wildfire Season For West appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> California Wildfire Appears Accidental, Drizzle Aids Firefighters http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/06/290992.htm Mon, 06 May 2013 15:32:56 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=290992 Investigators have ruled out arson as the cause of a huge Southern California wildfire that was 75 percent contained Sunday after burning through coastal mountains and threatening thousands of homes. Continuing cool, moist air and drizzle late Sunday and continuing through Monday …

The article California Wildfire Appears Accidental, Drizzle Aids Firefighters appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Southern California Wildfire Causes Homes To Be Evacuated http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/03/290848.htm Fri, 03 May 2013 15:45:37 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=290848 A Southern California wildfire grew to more than 15 square miles and firefighting crews prepared Friday for another bad day of gusting winds and searing weather. The fire erupted Thursday in the Camarillo area, damaging 15 homes and a cluster …

The article Southern California Wildfire Causes Homes To Be Evacuated appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Mistake Made Handling Colorado Waldo Canyon Fire: Report http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/01/290363.htm Wed, 01 May 2013 16:13:52 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=290363 A dispatcher made a mistake when she failed to relay a 911 call about a wildfire hours before it roared out of control, but no one knows if it would have made a difference in the damage it caused, according …

The article Mistake Made Handling Colorado Waldo Canyon Fire: Report appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> More Sand Bags Going Out To Limit Fire Flooding http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/04/10/287882.htm Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:26:40 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=287882 Hundreds of homeowners living near the Waldo Canyon burn area in Colorado Springs are gearing up for more flooding this spring. Officials say the risk of flooding has increased nearly four-fold as a result of environmental damage to the burn …

The article More Sand Bags Going Out To Limit Fire Flooding appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Report Praises Response To Deadly Colorado Wildfire http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/04/04/287320.htm Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:39:39 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=287320 A review of the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history released Wednesday found much to praise and few problems in the way Colorado Springs agencies responded. Investigators say the June 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire on the northwest side of Colorado …

The article Report Praises Response To Deadly Colorado Wildfire appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Colorado Wildfire Safeguards, Concerns with Alert System http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/03/01/283255.htm Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:12:47 +0000 Don Jergler http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=283255 New safeguards to prevent state-set fires from going out of control have won unanimous approval in the state Senate, and a new report is noting “serious concerns” with two mass calling systems that were used to send evacuation notices to …

The article Colorado Wildfire Safeguards, Concerns with Alert System appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Idaho Forest Companies Seek Lawsuit Protections http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/02/21/282201.htm Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:24:10 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=282201 Idaho’s private forestry companies want to buttress their protections against federal wildfire lawsuits that they say have been costly for companies elsewhere. Idaho Forest Group lobbyist Jeremy Chou told the House Resources Committee Tuesday his client’s measure restates Idaho’s law …

The article Idaho Forest Companies Seek Lawsuit Protections appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Colorado Politicians Mad Over Sandy Bill Minus Wildfire Aid http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/01/31/279479.htm Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:53:33 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=279479 Colorado politicians are steaming that $125 million in aid for last year’s wildfires was removed from the Sandy relief bill. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives stripped that funding from the Sandy bill before approving it last week. That infuriated Colorado’s …

The article Colorado Politicians Mad Over Sandy Bill Minus Wildfire Aid appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Report: Insurers Boost California Economy $29.4B http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/01/18/278022.htm Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:07:54 +0000 Don Jergler http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=278022 Insurers directly contributed $29.4 billion to California’s 2010 gross state product, or for 1.6 percent of the state’s GSP, according to the report issued on Friday by the Insurance Information Network of California. The report shows property/casualty insurers provided 209,016 California …

The article Report: Insurers Boost California Economy $29.4B appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> $1.1M Grant For Disaster Prep For Washington Schools http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/19/274631.htm Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:47:28 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=274631 Washington education officials are using a $1.1 million federal grant to help schools prepare for natural disasters. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is working with 35 school districts across the state to develop a statewide emergency plan. …

The article $1.1M Grant For Disaster Prep For Washington Schools appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Fire Codes Getting Tougher After Damaging Colorado Blaze http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/13/273863.htm Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:25:52 +0000 Don Jergler http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=273863 Fire codes could be getting stricter in the Colorado Springs neighborhood devastated by last summer’s Waldo Canyon Fire. The Gazette reported that Colorado Springs’ city council has given preliminary approval to fire code changes to make homes more fire resistant …

The article Fire Codes Getting Tougher After Damaging Colorado Blaze appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Official Urges Collaboration On Wildfire Projects in West http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/03/272533.htm Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:19:57 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=272533 As the western U.S. comes off a tough wildfire season, more collaboration is needed to guard against catastrophic fires and to restore charred forests and rangeland, a senior federal official said at a Western Governors’ Association meeting in Arizona over …

The article Official Urges Collaboration On Wildfire Projects in West appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Wildfires, Hail Take Toll On Colorado Home Insurance http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/11/27/271770.htm Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:32:25 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=271770 Colorado now ranks among the top 10 for the highest share of homeowners insurance claims paid out due to catastrophes. The Insurance Research Council says catastrophes triggered only 26 percent of the claims made on homeowner policies from 1997 to …

The article Wildfires, Hail Take Toll On Colorado Home Insurance appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Arizona Judge Oks $3.7M In Restitution For Wildfire http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/11/13/270312.htm Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:53:06 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=270312 A judge says two cousins who accidentally started the largest wildfire in Arizona history will have to pay more than $3.7 million in restitution. The amount covers the loss of homes and other property, cleanup from the Wallow Fire and …

The article Arizona Judge Oks $3.7M In Restitution For Wildfire appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Colorado Springs Wildfire Expected To Create Jobs http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/11/07/269804.htm Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:43:51 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=269804 Economists say a wildfire that burned 346 homes and scorched 28 square miles in the Colorado Springs area over the summer could provide an economic boost over the next five years. Insurance claims for the contents and homes damaged in …

The article Colorado Springs Wildfire Expected To Create Jobs appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Native Seed Shortage Hampers Nevada, Utah Wildfire Recovery http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/10/30/268521.htm Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:23:29 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=268521 High demand for native plant seeds in Nevada and Utah is pushing up the price and leaving short supplies following an extreme wildfire year that burned millions of acres nationally. In the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah, reseeding after …

The article Native Seed Shortage Hampers Nevada, Utah Wildfire Recovery appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> 2012 Fire Season Among Worst On Record In Wyoming http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/10/25/268004.htm Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:13:54 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=268004 This year’s wildfire season was among the most destructive on record in Wyoming, with as many as 1,400 wildfires charring more than a half-million acres, state forester Bill Crapser said. Normally Wyoming will see 700 to 750 wildfires in a …

The article 2012 Fire Season Among Worst On Record In Wyoming appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> 27 People Displaced As Fire Claims Small North Dakota Town http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2012/10/19/267312.htm Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:42:17 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=267312 A tiny southwestern North Dakota town has been all but destroyed by a wind-fueled wildfire that displaced its 27 residents, prompting an outpouring of assistance from surrounding communities, officials said Thursday. No one was injured in the fire that swept …

The article 27 People Displaced As Fire Claims Small North Dakota Town appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Colorado Giving $1.3 Million For Wildfire Recovery http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/10/14/266595.htm Mon, 15 Oct 2012 02:12:48 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=266595 Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is providing $1.3 million for recovery in the Lower North Fork Fire burn area. Hickenlooper says the funding announced Friday can be used to pay for such things as removing burned trees in the burn area …

The article Colorado Giving $1.3 Million For Wildfire Recovery appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Utah Lawmaker Mulls Climate Concerns in Wildfire Bill http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/10/09/265950.htm Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:45:34 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=265950 At the request of a youth group, a Republican Utah lawmaker plans to address concerns about climate change in a bill dealing with wildfires. State Rep. Kraig Powell of Heber City has requested the drafting of legislation that would examine …

The article Utah Lawmaker Mulls Climate Concerns in Wildfire Bill appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> 11 Homes Destroyed in NW Minnesota Wildfire http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2012/10/05/265681.htm Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:23:38 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=265681 State officials now say 11 homes and 24 other structures were destroyed by the wildfire that threatened the northwestern Minnesota city town of Karlstad. Jean Goad, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, said that updated figures show the …

The article 11 Homes Destroyed in NW Minnesota Wildfire appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> SoCal Fire is Reminder Worst Could be Ahead http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/09/25/264360.htm Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:02:22 +0000 Don Jergler http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=264360 A 4-square-mile wildfire in a rural San Diego County community has destroyed roughly a dozen homes and has left one man dead, a sober reminder the state has a large number of high risk homes and that Southern California’s peak …

The article SoCal Fire is Reminder Worst Could be Ahead appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Union Study Recommends Changes at N.M. Fire Agencies http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/09/25/264250.htm Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:43:20 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=264250 A new study concludes that firefighters aren’t capable of responding to calls within nationally recommended time frames in certain parts of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County in New Mexico. The Albuquerque Journal reported  that the study completed this month by the …

The article Union Study Recommends Changes at N.M. Fire Agencies appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Study: More Than 2 Million California Homes Exposed To High Wildfire Danger http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/09/19/263487.htm Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:53:29 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=263487 More than 2 million homes in California face “extreme wildfire hazards,” over 400,000 of which are in Los Angeles County, according to a study issued Wednesday by an insurance industry group. A study by the Insurance Information Network of California …

The article Study: More Than 2 Million California Homes Exposed To High Wildfire Danger appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Insurance Laws Hurting Colorado Wildfire Victims http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/08/31/261426.htm Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:25:53 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=261426 Victims of wildfires that destroyed more than 600 homes this year say Colorado’s insurance laws need to be changed. State officials told victims attending a hearing in Fort Collins on Wednesday that they have heard complaints that some insurance companies …

The article Insurance Laws Hurting Colorado Wildfire Victims appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Fat Tire Maker Says River Water Tainted By Colo. Wildfire http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/08/31/261423.htm Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:24:27 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=261423 The maker of Fat Tire beer says it’s using a reserve water supply because the water in northern Colorado’s Poudre (POO’-der) River is tainted by a wildfire that destroyed hundreds of homes in June. New Belgium Brewery objected when it …

The article Fat Tire Maker Says River Water Tainted By Colo. Wildfire appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Investigators: Falling Boulder Sparked Utah Fire http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/08/30/261268.htm Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:38:43 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=261268 Investigators say a Utah wildfire that burned more than 800 acres in Emery County was sparked when one massive boulder hit another. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry called the conclusion on the cause of …

The article Investigators: Falling Boulder Sparked Utah Fire appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> Oklahoma Governor to Seek Additional Disaster Aid http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2012/08/24/260701.htm Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:55:38 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=260701 Gov. Mary Fallin says she’s pleased the government has approved disaster assistance for one Oklahoma county and that she’ll continue seeking aid for three others affected by wildfires. Fallin told dozens of emergency management officials at a conference in Norman …

The article Oklahoma Governor to Seek Additional Disaster Aid appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]> A Year Later: Bastrop, Texas Fire Victims Thankful for Assistance http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2012/08/23/260494.htm Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:34:12 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=260494 The home of John and Lisa Whitt was reduced to ashes in the Bastrop Labor Day fire in Texas last year, but today, they feel like they have received more than they lost. The Whitts had 15 minutes to get …

The article A Year Later: Bastrop, Texas Fire Victims Thankful for Assistance appeared first on Insurance Journal.

]]>