Jesusita Blaze Started During Wildfire Awareness Week

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With as many as 13,000 Santa Barbara residents displaced by the Jesusita Fire, thousands of Santa Barbara homeowners may be able to turn to their homeowner insurance policies for reimbursement of evacuation costs.

State law requires that Additional Living Expense coverage be provided for 24 months following a declared state of emergency such as the Jesusita Fire, according to the Insurance Information Network of California®. In addition to providing compensation for lodging and other expenses while homes are being rebuilt, ALE coverage can also reimburse policyholders for hotel and other expenses incurred during a mandatory evacuation.
 
Policyholders who have sustained a loss or been forced from their homes due to an ordered evacuation should immediately contact their insurance carrier, said IINC Executive Director Candysse Miller.

Several insurers have already sent claims teams to the Jesusita Fire area. Information on disaster recovery and how to contact insurance companies is available at the IINC web site at www.iinc.org.

The fire erupted in the midst of Wildfire Awareness Week, when Californians are encouraged to prepare against the constant risk of wildfire.

“This should certainly serve as a stark reminder to residents across our state that wildfires can happen anytime, anywhere in California,” Miller said. “Californians should take the time to prepare their homes, their families and their finances for risks ranging from wildfires to earthquakes.”

IINC is non-profit and non-lobbying trade association dedicated to helping the public understand insurance and manage risk. For more information, please visit the IINC Web site at www.iinc.org or follow IINC on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iinc.