Fireman’s Fund launches Bay Area wildfire readiness program

With wildfire season in full force, Novato, Calif.-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. has launched a wildfire readiness program to help San Francisco Bay Area homeowners protect their property from wildfires.

Depending on topography and landscape, California law requires homeowners to create a defensible space between 30 to 100 feet around their homes by clearing brush and grass. However, many residents don’t know exactly what to cut or how to do it, the company said.

Consequently, Fireman’s Fund has set up a toll-free Wildfire Readiness Helpline (800-317-0575), that Bay Area homeowners can call to receive a free onsite inspection of their home.

In partnership with FireProtec, a vegetation removal company, the visit will be conducted by a firefighting professional who will provide customized advice on how to create a defensible space around the person’s home. The analysis will include tips on what brush, grass and trees need to be cleared. Homeowners will have the option of getting the brush professionally removed at a 10 percent discount, an offer typically only available to Fireman’s Fund policyholders, the company said.

The free program is available to homeowners in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.

“This program leverages our preexisting relationship with the fire service to help protect our policyholders and all residents of the Bay Area,” said Robert Courtemanche, president of Personal Insurance at Fireman’s Fund.

California’s two most devastating fires, the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County and the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire, destroyed a combined 7,747 homes.

“No one wants to be included in those types of statistics,” said Marin County Fire Chief Ken Massucco. “Creating a defensible space is the most important factor in protecting your home.”

Additionally, the company said it will offer an expanded home inspection to all of its homeowner’s insurance policyholders. A Wildfire Home Protection Review valued at $150 will be available at no charge, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of all dangers in and around the homeowner’s property.

The expanded analysis evaluates a range of risks, from easy-to-fix items such as removing propane tanks from under decks to more extensive items such as replacing flammable roofing materials.