Newsworthy

Help homeowners avoid tragedy

Wildfires can ignite in a variety of ways, but can quickly spread

By Paul Morrissette, American Agent & Broker Magazine

Published 4/15/2010

Consider the wildfire that burned last summer in La Cañada Flintridge, a suburb just 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Leaving some 1,500 acres devastated in its wake, the fire wreaked havoc in this quaint community nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. Gilda Terry, Vice President with Momentous Insurance Brokerage in Los Angeles, remembers receiving calls from two of her two clients who were living in this neighborhood:

“They had been ordered to evacuate, yet they were leaving with the fear of what would be left of their homes once they were allowed to return,” Terry said.

In this case, Terry had insured her clients through a carrier that provides its policyholders with wildfire protection services—a private company staffed by professionals trained in wildfire education, prevention and suppression services.

Terry explains that she called the insurer who, within 30 minutes, had dispatched its service to the scene to spray protective gel on her clients’ homes.

“I know firsthand that these services can work, and my clients’ homes were saved because of their defensive effort,” Terry said. Read more....