Wildfire Burns on Colorado’s Western Slope

The New Castle Fire burning near Glenwood Springs, Colo., has forced the evacuation of about 90 homes with another 100 on high alert, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

In light of the fire, RMIIA is suggesting homeowners work with their insurance agents to evalute their homeowners coverage. For some, there may be coverage available for a mandatory evacuation, where the policy pays for out-of-pocket expenses while homeowners are ordered out of their home during a wildfire. Homeowners impacted by the fire should contact their insurance agent or company to let them know where they are staying, and if they need additional living expenses while they are forced to live elsewhere. This coverage is generally triggered by a mandatory evacuation by a civil authority, such as the sheriff’s department, RMIIA said.

“You do not want to wait until you’re loading up the car on an evacuation order to think about what your insurance does and doesn’t cover,” said Carole Walker, RMIIA executive director. “Now is the time to do an insurance check up of your coverage and create a home inventory.”

RMIIA offers this insurance checklist for homeowners:

1. Create a home inventory;
2. Do an annual insurance checkup; and
3. Know what is and isn’t covered.

Additional resources are available at www.rmiia.org.

Source: RMIIA