wildfire risk News

Fed Warns Climate, COVID Worsen Western States’ Economic Risk From Wildfires

Wildfires threaten the economy of the western United States to a greater extent than the rest of the country, and the coronavirus pandemic and climate change will only make that worse, according to research from the San Francisco Fed on …

Fire Expert: Dry Conditions Make Mount Rushmore Fireworks ‘Ill Advised’

The July 3 fireworks display planned at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial would be “ill advised” because of the abnormally dry conditions and risk of summer wildfires, a fire expert said. The event could attract as many as 75,000 people, …

Not All Homes in Wildfire Zones Are Uninsurable. Here’s How Insurers Can Tell.

Fire-risk scores now used by insurance underwriters can sometimes can make it challenging for homeowners to find coverage. Zesty.ai, a California insurtech start-up, is among a handful of firms working to fine-tune fire-risk scores so that some homeowners have a …

Fire Danger High in Oklahoma, Texas Panhandles

Forestry officials say conditions in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles are ideal for sparking wildfires. Oklahoma Forestry Service officials say danger levels are high Monday in western Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Panhandle. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the Texas …

Aon Cites Need for Mitigation as Insured Wildfire Losses Top $10B for Second Year

Total aggregated economic losses for the wildfires that have burned across Northern and Southern California throughout the month are expected to minimally exceed $10 billion, while insurance claims payouts for wildfires are set to exceed $10 billion in the United …

2018 Wildfire Season Outpacing 2017

This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Examining the Risk in French Gulch and Redding Less than a year ago, California was ablaze with some of the most catastrophic fires the United States has seen. Over 10 …

Tennessee Community Devastated by Fires Doubtful Climate Change Poses Future Risk

Bob Bentz had just installed underground utility lines and paved a new road when wildfires roared through the eastern Tennessee treetop canopy he wanted to transform into a $30 million adventure park. A year later, after the blaze killed 14 …

Caution Urged as Wildfire Season Starts in New Jersey

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is urging residents to be cautious as the spring wildfire season starts in the state. The agency says this year’s season is starting a little earlier than usual because winter conditions became drier and …

Drought in Northeast Could Last Through October

At Lavoie’s Farm in New Hampshire, beans and corn haven’t broken through the ground yet and fields of strawberries are stunted. The drought that has taken hold in the Northeast is especially felt at John Lavoie’s farm in Hollis, presenting …

Dry, Windy Weather in North Carolina Increasing Mountain Wildfires

Windy and dry conditions are causing an increase in the number of wildfires in the North Carolina mountains. Media outlets report that a 60-acre fire near Bearwallow Mountain southeast of Asheville that firefighters have been battling this week is largely …