The months of September and October are the most dangerous time of the year for wildfires.
The State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones made a stop in Vista on Wednesday morning urging homeowners to make sure they're ready for fire season. The big topic was being prepared in case a fire happens to reach your neighborhood.
Big lessons were learned from the large fires in 2003 and 2007 that can help San Diego this season. One of those was many residents didn't know the replacement cost of their home. So, when their home was damaged they didn’t have enough coverage to cover expenses.
“Look to see whether you have enough insurance to actually replace your home at the replacement cost value. Many people in 2003 and 2007 were under-insured and didn’t have the insurance they needed to rebuild,” said Dave Jones.
Firefighters say residents also need to maintain a defensible area of 100 feet around the home. This means no vegetation that is easily susceptible to fire.
“Firefighters want to be able to protect your home but they can’t do that if there’s a lot of fuel close to your home which can then light your home on fire,” said Dave Jones.
For more information on how you can prepare your home and family for future fire disasters, visit the Department of Insurance website.
