View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2008/05/22/90235.htm
Thermo Technologies, LLC, has teamed with The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and a Montana-based fire-fighting company to provide wildfire property protection to Chubb policyholders in 13 western states, creating a large, private wildfire protection network.
Announced on the eve of this year’s wildfire season, the Thermo Technologies-Chubb partnership includes Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. (WDS), a Red Lodge, Mont., firm operating under a federal contract for wildfire suppression in the western United States. WDS certified wildland fighters will spray Thermo-Gel, a fire-blocking gel, on Chubb homeowners’ property should a fire approach.
“Providing our products to Chubb and Wildfire Defense Systems will ensure peace of mind and protection to Chubb policyholders, while substantially reducing property damage,”; said Jay Simmons of Thermo Technologies.
To be eligible, Chubb homeowner customers will receive enrollment forms in the mail. Once they enroll at no charge, trained certified WDS wildfire fighters will be dispatched to the affected property, where they will spray the Thermo-Gel.
WDS’s contract covers Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
By adding Thermo-Gel to water, property owners and managers can coat surfaces, shrubs, utility poles and vehicles with a protective spray that is designed to eliminate damage from flames and charring. The same mixture can be used to create a fire-free zone around a structure, too.
Thermo Gel is biodegradable and composed of nontoxic polymers that, once applied to a surface, create “billions of tiny sponges.”; As a result, Thermo-Gel prevents water runoff or evaporation, thus cooling – and protecting – surfaces ranging from windows, ceilings and siding to fuel tanks and rail cars.
The additive is compatible with city water supplies, groundwater, surface and spring water. It is ideal for combating dangerous, highly energy-rich fires that reach plastics facilities, waste incineration plants, and tire warehouses and tank farms. It is more effective than water and/or foam.
For more information, visit www.chubb.com/corporate/chubb8296.html.
Source: Chubb