A wildfire wake-up call for all of us
Awareness of wildfire risk, its magnitude and the urgent need for action is spreading like… Well, you know.
Australians get it. Californians get it. Finally, the rest of the world is catching on, too.
The reality is, wildfires are becoming a regular feature of the landscape. Our wake-up call is unwanted but timely. We can expect more frequent wildfire threats and greater loss in the future.
The good news? Awareness of wildfire risk — its magnitude and the urgent need for action — is spreading like… Well, you know. It’s extending across communities and to smaller, public-facing organizations including churches, schools and nonprofits.
Many of those organizations have made the decision not only to invest time and resources in wildfire education for their staff and those they serve but to actively implement monitoring, prevention and defense tactics.
Innovative solutions
Smaller organizations such as churches will benefit from recent investments in wildfire field research, technology solutions and pilot programs that today’s innovative insurers are making available.
Rather than waiting for trouble to strike, these proactive organizations are teaching staff to work with fire authorities and risk-control experts on prevention. They’re discovering how to make their buildings and grounds less vulnerable to fire and smoke, and to consult with wildfire experts.
Even when wildfire danger is imminent, organizations like the Church of the Brethren are learning to protect their buildings and grounds by summoning fire-suppression trucks to apply fire-retardant gel. That defensive tactic successfully spared its back-country summer camp buildings during California’s raging Donnell Fire in 2018.
Such organizations also are using new technologies like text and email alerts to stay on top of wildfire risk in their community and on their property — including evacuation alerts.
This intentional, multi-step approach is the single best way any organization, large or small, can protect their people and property from the catastrophic effects of wildfires. We all have to wake up to the reality of the wildfire threat.
Ancient elements, modern perils
Natural fires have existed since the dawn of time, usually sparked by lightning. But human development has acted as an accelerant. Eighty percent of wildfires in the U.S. are now caused by humans. In California, the number is 95%.
Today, more densely populated environments and environmental factors are fueling more frequent, severe and lengthy wildfires, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
Some climatologists even contend there is no longer simply a “wildfire season,” believing it now to be a perpetual peril.
The past few California wildfire seasons may signal that state’s new normal. More than 2 million California properties are considered to be at high risk of wildfire, and that’s nearly half of all at-risk properties in the nation.
But the Golden State is not alone. The I.I. I. says that while 9 out of 10 of the most at-risk states are in the West, wildfires burned 1.7 million acres in the Eastern U.S. in 2018.
When sparks fly
It all starts with a spark — and spreads when embers take flight. Windborne embers ignited homes and structures across Australia this year. And in the Paradise, California, fire, thermal imaging shows an orange trail of embers blowing past fuel breaks, creating a “wind-driven inferno,” as the Los Angeles Times described it. Within three hours, the entire town of Paradise was ablaze.
California’s devastating Camp Fire was wind-driven, too. I was there just days after the fire and will never forget the damage I saw.
Ashes and embers can travel up to a mile from the main blaze, landing on wooden fences or decks, even entering a building through its vents and windows. “Hardening” tactics can help make buildings more fire-resistant, using fire-resistant construction materials for the building exterior, Class A fire-rated materials for the roof and metal screens in vents and other openings.
We also need to be judicious in where, how — and whether — we pursue building development in high fire-hazard zones. And we must enforce community regulations around defensible spaces.
Essential prevention: Defensible space
A defensible space is a non-combustible safety zone around the perimeter of a building structure. Eliminating combustible materials within a 5-foot zone can significantly reduce the risk of embers and surface fires that can spread to the building and ignite a new blaze.
Creating a defensible space or zone is a simple but effective way that anyone — from homeowners to facility managers — can help prevent damage and loss from wildfire.
For more details on defensible zones, as well as wildfire prevention tactics and education, organizations and communities can turn to their insurers or to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).
New strides in wildfire modeling
Insurers have long turned to predictive models for catastrophes like earthquakes and hurricanes. Today, in partnership with RedZone, Church Mutual is now using wildfire data and risk models to identify direct wildfire risk zones, those areas at risk for evacuation or smoke damage, ember fall zones and more. That means we can help policyholders get ahead of the firestorm.
As an insurance professional, there is no higher reward than to know we have the ability to save lives and property.
We know there will be more frequent and severe wildfires. But with education, advanced modeling tools, and steps to monitor, prevent and defend, I believe we can minimize the destruction and loss. The time to act is now.
Richard Poirier is president and CEO of Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. These opinions are his own. For more information, send email to corporatecommunications@churchmutual.com.
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