Nearly 1,000 buildings destroyed in Colorado fires
The Boulder Sheriff’s Office reported it is working with investigators to better assess the damage but winter weather is slowing the process.
Dry grasslands and high winds aided in propelling a wildfire across some 6,000 acres in and Boulder County, Colorado, destroying nearly 1,000 structures and damaging hundreds more, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. The fire was first reported midday on December 30, 2021, and was largely contained thanks to heavy overnight snow on New Year’s Eve.
The Boulder Sheriff’s Office reported most of the structures destroyed were homes, and that it is working with investigators to better assess the damage but winter weather is slowing the process.
Investigators are also still trying to determine what initially sparked the blaze, with Bloomberg reporting that electrical lines have been ruled out. As of January 1, 2022, there were at least seven injuries and two missing people.
“Insurers are ready to help residents and businesses affected by these wildfires,” Lyn Elliot, assistant vice president of state government relations for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA). “After evacuating, the next step is to contact your insurer about damage. Your homeowners insurance company also can help evacuees move out of a shelter and into a hotel.”
Colorado residents showed wildfire concerns
A survey from earlier this year found more than 80% of Colorado residents were concerned or very concerned about wildfire risks, with 44% saying risks from widespread fires are only growing worse, according to Zesty.ai.
Further, more than half said they take wildfire mitigation steps, and more than 75% were very or somewhat confident in the mitigation efforts of local and state governments, Zesty.ai reported.
“This is a large disaster and the impact to many people will be felt for months. The (state insurance) division expects insurance companies to honor the promises they have made to Coloradans and provide whatever assistance is possible,” Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway said in a release. “We will be ensuring that insurance companies do all they can to help people.”
The state insurance department reported it will closely monitor insurance companies for compliance as it pertains to the following requirements:
- Providing policyholders with a company of their policy within three business days of its request as the documents can be helpful to evacuated people and those without internet access.
- State law requires insurance companies to immediately pay 30% of the total contents coverage stipulated in a policy in the event an owner-occupied home is considered a total loss.
“As Colorado homeowners have been forced to flee their homes on a moment’s notice, it is critical those in the path of the fires understand how their insurance can help them when they’re under a mandatory evacuation order and what to do as they are allowed back into their homes,” Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association, said in a release.
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