Living in Colorful Colorado comes with plenty of perks, like beautiful scenery, crisp air, and an endless number of adventures to be had. Unfortunately, Colorado is semi-arid, which means that our environmental conditions can sometimes be consistent with those in a desert.
Wildfires are a genuine concern for homeowners who have properties in the mountains or foothills – strong winds combined with a dry climate and flammable ground make the Front Range a hot spot for wildfire danger.
While wildfires are natural disasters, or man-made disasters, that are impossible to predict, you can do a few things to protect your home and property.
Tips For How To Prepare Your Home For Wildfire Season
- Keep your roof and gutters clean – One of the most important things to remember when protecting your home from wildfire is that debris and flammable items need to be routinely cleaned. Regular maintenance on your gutters and roof can ensure that inflammable debris, or overhanging trees, are not compromising your home’s safety. Maintenance can happen as frequently as you’d like. However, we recommend at least twice a year as we transition out of Autumn and again into Summer.
- Maintain your landscape and your home’s perimeter – you don’t need to change your current landscape but keep in mind that creating a “safe” perimeter around your home is a good way to add space between your home and potential flames. In addition, you should clear combustible materials and vegetation as often as possible.
- Opt for fire-resistant building materials for all projects – whether you are building from scratch or renovating a home, it’s a good idea to opt for fire-resistant materials for the exterior of your home, as opposed to standard wooden siding. Materials like brick, tile, concrete, and slate all tend to be significantly more fire-resistant than other building materials.
- Be ready and stay informed – you can take the above precautions and still be exposed to wildfire danger. Have a clear, quick evacuation plan for the entire family, pets included. Important considerations are government-issued documents, medications, spare clothing, and general first-aid. Create an emergency kit or grab bag in case the unexpected happens.
Preparing your home and family for a wildfire is an effective way to stay safe in the event of a wildfire. Colorado residents will remember the Marshall fire in December of 2021, which claimed two lives and over 1,000 homes.
How To Make Sure Your Home Is Insured Against Wildfires
One of the issues that homeowners in the Marshall Fire ran into when they filed their insurance claims was that they didn’t have sufficient coverage to cover the cost of their claims. This can happen for a couple of reasons:
- Coverage needs to be re-evaluated consistently: you must re-evaluate your insurance annually to ensure you have the right coverage for your current property and belongings. As home value appreciates, insurance coverage should too.
- Omissions and Exceptions: Some insurance policies include omissions and exceptions for situations where your insurance coverage would not reimburse you for losses. In this case, some homeowners’ policies had exceptions for wildfire damage.
So, our most essential tip on protecting your home from a wildfire is to contact your insurance broker or agent today and ensure your home is adequately covered from whatever it might be exposed to.
We are here to help you understand your coverage and where you could change your homeowner’s insurance policy – contact us today to keep you fully protected!
