We’re no strangers to the fears and realities of wildfire here in the Eastern Sierra. It has become a constant thought that accompanies life in California. Our low-snow winters don’t only affect us, they affect the entire state, and often increase the risk of wildfires.
As this recent LA Times article says:
“Increased fire activity also means the increased probability of flames where people live, Dahl said, particularly as more people move into the area known as the wildland-urban interface.”
Mammoth Lakes is located within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
Another important note:
“The fire chiefs on Thursday stressed the need for the public’s cooperation heading into the summer, particularly when it comes to proactive measures such as brush clearance, or the removal of flammable materials from around homes to help create a defensible space.”
Cleaning up defensible space around your house is a key part of lowering your risk. The Mammoth Lakes Fire Department provides info about defensible space and also offers defensible space inspections to make sure you’re checking all the boxes.
As fire risks get worse and fire seasons get longer, it becomes harder (and more expensive) to get good homeowners insurance.
We’re hopeful that large scale fuel reduction projects will help us out locally at some point in the future. The Eastern Sierra Climate & Communities Resilience Project (ESCCRP) is working on programs to improve the health of local forests so they can be more resilient to threats like fire, drought and beetle outbreaks.
If you have questions about your homeowners insurance coverage or options, feel free to get in touch.