WildFLOWERS to WildFIRES

4/16/2019 (Permalink)

This Spring has brought tons of color and joy. As the seasons' change, so do our views and concerns. #wildflowers2019 #wildfiresprevention2019

Just a few weeks ago Southern California residents were enjoying bright Kelly green grass blanketing hills and roadsides thanks to the unusually high amount of rainfall we’ve experienced compared to the last few years. All across the southland the incredible ‘super bloom’ of wildflowers including bright orange poppies drew crowds of spectators and became a huge topic on Instagram and Facebook. Our team members passing through the Lake Elsinore fields even posted a weekday picture of the view while in route to San Diego. Many of us will agree, the wildflowers in bloom this Spring was the best we’ve probably seen yet. So colorful in fact, these colorful fields captured the attention of both tourists and residents simply due to the sheer beauty. The Washington Post’s headline included its vibrancy could even be seen from space!

Now weeks later and we’ve had merely a few days of heat and the temporarily green fields rapidly have turned yellow and brown, drying out. Rumors of windy days to come seem to be a topic of discussion for some. If you’ve lived in Southern California long, you are all too familiar with the Santa Ana warm gusty winds. In some cities and areas, those winds seem to never really die down and while most dangerous in the dry fall months, our summers can become harsh and quickly vulnerable to wildfires. Fire season is much longer due to climate change. The past several years of California’s recent wildfires have totaled BILLIONS of dollars in damages. In efforts to keep in business insurance companies have had to restructure and evaluated high-risk areas and policyholders. So what can we do as home policyholders?

Help preserve California’s beauty by preparing ahead of time. Prepare your home for a potential wildfire now. Remember safety is always first, so have evacuation plans and exits. Important also to note is strive to never miss an insurance premium payment to prevent coverage from lapsing. To be caught without insurance for your home or business property could be devastating. Next, take the time to do a thorough inspection and clear a safety zone all around your structure. Ensure all dried out and dead vegetation is removed along with any rubble or debris and flammable propane tanks or gasoline. Use extreme caution when cooking outdoors and keep firewood piles at a good distance away. If a pop-up fire nears your neighborhood, shut off the gas and extinguish pilot lights. Be fire wise and ready to evacuate prior to the danger of a fire even getting too close. We each can do our part in preventing unintentional fires from forming so that generations to come will continue to take in the picturesque scenery that surrounds us year after year.