How many apartment complexes and other structures have dangerous residue from smoke, and the landlord does not want to find out how bad it is for fear of losing tenants? A proposed Colorado law takes aim at this difficult issue.
Continue Reading Urban Wildfire Damage Requires Full Investigation and Testing to Determine if a Structure Is Safe for Occupancy
A pamphlet, Are Our Schools Safe After the Marshall Fire, caught my attention. The bottom line is that smoke damage caused by urban wildfires is much more dangerous than conventional wildfires. The parents of school children in the vicinity of the Colorado Marshall Fire are correctly raising concerns about the safety of schools impacted by toxic smoke damage.
Continue Reading After The Urban Wildfire and Safety ConcernsThe video above is from the Marshall Wildfire. With more cameras placed on first responders, we are getting a better understanding of what happens during urban wildfires. It takes a lot of courage to be a firefighter. Continue Reading Urban Wildfires
Property owners and property managers need to face the reality if they have a property that is smoke damaged from wildfires. Following my recent post, A Safety Video Every Homeowner In a Wildfire Area Should Watch, two articles in Restoration and Remediation Magazine should be read by property owners, property managers, restoration contractors, and property insurance adjusters. Continue Reading Dioxins Are Extremely Dangerous and Cannot Be Overlooked Following Wildfires
All homeowners in wildfire areas should carefully view the video, 5 on the Frontline with Dawn Bolstad-Johnson. As part of their training, all property insurance adjusters should do so as well.
I have bought the paperback and eBook versions of Dawn Bolstad-Johnson’s book, Exposed Carcinogenic Exposures on the Fireground and 11 Work Practices to Minimize the Risk. While it is an important read for firefighters, it is just as important to those wanting to understand the safety concerns about exposures to structures that have been burnt or subject to smoke from a fire.
I also came across a video, Your PPE is for Every. Single. Fire, reminding firefighters about the need to wear safety equipment even during training exercises because of the hazards posed by smoke and ash.
We have written about these concerns in Marshall Wildfire Policyholders Continue to Experience Difficulty with Insurance Companies to Evaluate Full Extent of Damage from Smoke, Ash, and Soot, and Wildfire Smoke and Ash Cleanup Disputes. The residue of smoke, soot, and ash can kill you in the long term. I do not mean to scare people, but the scientific data cannot be ignored. We suggest that structures with smoke, soot, and ash debris be thoroughly examined by a qualified industrial hygienist. This is something all property insurance adjusters should do as part of an investigation.
Thought For The Day
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
—Buddha
The California wildfires have caused damage to many vineyards. We have been involved in a number of coverage and disputed value cases arising from these unfortunate incidents. Smoke can cause damage to a vineyard’s facilities and its crop and wine products. Finished wines can have a perceptible “smoke taint,” which makes wine unmarketable except for salvage value. Continue Reading Vineyard Losses From Wildfires — A Smoky Wine Is Very Different Than Smoke Damaged Wine
Patrick Moffett was at the First Party Claims Conference in Marina Del Rey this week. Another speaker, Matt Blumkin, mentioned Moffett’s update in 2020 of a paper, Wildfire Impact Assessments Completed by an Industrial Hygienist and Other Qualified Experts. Those handling wildfire insurance claims should read and study. Continue Reading Wildfire Insurance Claims—Considerations From An Expert
The Colorado Division of Insurance has regulators that are standing up for consumers to encourage full and prompt payment of losses. The Division issued a comprehensive news release yesterday which delves into the problems policyholders are facing following wildfires that have destroyed many homes and businesses over the past two years. Many recurrent problems complained of by our Colorado wildfire clients are addressed in the news release which we are copying in full as part of this post: Continue Reading Colorado Wildfire Claims Problems? Colorado Division of Insurance Is Congratulated for Getting to the Most Commons Wildfire Claims Concerns
Nearly two months after the Marshall Wildfire, news stories and articles continue to express the frustrations and difficulties Marshall Wildfire policyholders are experiencing with partial losses from smoke, ash, and soot where insurers will not fully agree to help investigate and evaluate the extent of damage. Colorado Division of Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway has held several town hall meetings where Marshall Wildfire policyholders continue to echo frustrations of smoke, ash, and soot damage to their homes and personal property. Continue Reading Marshall Wildfire Policyholders Continue to Experience Difficulty with Insurance Companies to Evaluate Full Extent of Damage from Smoke, Ash, and Soot
The Colorado Division of Insurance published a new Bulletin1 which supports faster and complete payment to policyholders. The bulletin provided in part: Continue Reading Colorado Division of Insurance Bulletin For Marshall and Middle Fork Wildfire Claims