The high risk is not necessarily the issue. Insurance companies will offer coverage as long as they can charge an adequate amount for the risks they are assuming. When states (like California) over-regulate and do not allow insurance carriers to charge an adequate premium, they will simply leave that market. They are not charities; they are public companies that must act in the best interest of their shareholders. No company, regardless of industry, is going to do business in a market that does not allow them to turn a profit over the long term. This is just another example of the consequences that arise out of bad policy and over-regulation.aggie93 said:Like a bad neighbor, State Farm isn’t there! pic.twitter.com/kVGAN5XaS5
— One Bad Dude (@OneBadDude_) January 12, 2025
While I completely understand the emotion in hating on the Insurance companies, I don't know what people really expect them to do. They are businesses and they assess risk. They have seen the policies in California and the risks continue to rise and only getting worse while expenses and regulations are insane. They knew that the odds of something bad like this happening was too big of a risk so they started pulling out. To do otherwise would be irresponsible and not fair to all of the people they insure in places that don't vote for lunacy like they have in California and LA that created environments like this. Everywhere has different types of natural disasters that they are vulnerable to and if the government isn't doing things to mitigate those risks then it isn't the job of an insurance company to just be on the hook no matter how big the risks get.
In Florida for instance they have always had issues with insurance companies pulling out. So what have they done? They have tried to do everything reasonably possible to mitigate those risks and prepare for them. They have worked with insurance companies to find solutions that make it feasible for them to do business in higher risk areas even if they costs are high. They actually address the core issues and work on a solution. California has not shown any interest in addressing the actual problems and actually has worked to make them bigger problems. So insurance companies leave and no one wants to replace them. That's not the fault of the insurance companies.
Cali fires and wind storms
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Last: 11 days ago by TRM
Adam Sandler is ready.Aggie95 said:
how many bad movies are going to be created over the next 2 years so these actors can rebuild their homes?
Pretty interesting 2018 story on the history of fires and real estate development in the area.
https://longreads.com/2018/12/04/the-case-for-letting-malibu-burn/
https://longreads.com/2018/12/04/the-case-for-letting-malibu-burn/
this article is sorta related to your post. it discusses that prescribed burning may not really be all the helpful. I think the conclusion in this article is to reduce fuels, build smarter/resistant homes, etc.
https://heatmap.news/climate/los-angeles-controlled-burns
https://heatmap.news/climate/los-angeles-controlled-burns
Please oh please let the solution be a concrete wall
Build a home outta non combustible materials works well
"We're going to turn this red Prius into a soup kitchen!"
i think this will be a key factor going forward.
I'm actually thinking about installing a sprinkler system over the roof to douse my house. I can clear as much under rush as I can but in a windy wildfire situation, flying embers can land anywhere.
You don't say? That still standing house was a testament to what better planning can do……..but it'll cost 'ya. How bad do you want to live there?BQ_90 said:
this article is sorta related to your post. it discusses that prescribed burning may not really be all the helpful. I think the conclusion in this article is to reduce fuels, build smarter/resistant homes, etc.
https://heatmap.news/climate/los-angeles-controlled-burns
Being in TexAgs jail changes a man……..no, not really
Curious if metal roof can protect from fire in addition to stucco. I do know Palisades has many older homes with wooden sidings but there are tile roofs. Curious how tile roofed house with stucco catches on fire.
With those high winds, those tiles come loose and fly off. Stucco becomes flexible in high temperatures and breaks down giving spaces for the flames to go through.AggieDruggist89 said:
Curious if metal roof can protect from fire in addition to stucco. I do know Palisades has many older homes with wooden sidings but there are tile roofs. Curious how tile roofed house with stucco catches on fire.
I thought you was a lawyer...not a construction contractor!!
Hobby. Love real estate and remodeling shows. Plus when I was remodeling our lake house I researched my options. Further, I lived in New Mexico for several years, so very familiar with adobe and stucco construction since I lived in several types and ages. (Also dated an architect while in New Mexico. He was from California, Bay area to be exact.)AggieDruggist89 said:
I thought you was a lawyer...not a construction contractor!!
AggieDruggist89 said:
Curious if metal roof can protect from fire in addition to stucco. I do know Palisades has many older homes with wooden sidings but there are tile roofs. Curious how tile roofed house with stucco catches on fire.
Usually it's the eves and attic vents that allow embers in and fires start in the attics. After the '07 San Diego fires there was a big push to educate so people could retro fit better solutions.
aTm '99
Bagging on State Farm and the other insurance companies is going to happen. It comes with the territory of being a public company that uses advertising to generate revenue. It is what it is.
As far as pulling out of the state goes....The State has a gap coverage option for residents. It's up to the individual to cover their assets with a policy.
If they own a home, it's the smart thing to do. Also known as being an adult.
Quote:
California FAIR Plan
FAIR Plan is a critical insurance option for California residents and businesses
Established more than 50 years ago to provide insurance options for Californians, the FAIR Plan's mission is to protect consumers. The Department of Insurance, led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, exercises oversight under California law to make sure the FAIR Plan addresses the changing needs of Californians.While created by the Governor and Legislature, the FAIR Plan is a private association whose day-to-day operations are controlled by insurance companies, not taxpayers.Quote:
"I am using my oversight to make sure all Californians have options for coverage that meet their needs. While the FAIR Plan has a long history of protecting consumers it must continue to respond to climate change and future threats." Commissioner Lara
The FAIR Plan is available to California residents and businesses in urban and rural areas who cannot obtain insurance through a regular insurance company.
As of 2020, the FAIR Plan covers less than 3% of residents, meaning more than 97% of Californians have a competitive option for insurance.
The insurance companies collect trillions in fees and pay out billions in settlements. It's not too much to ask for proper and timely reimbursement for the people that lost their homes and businesses. That is their actual business, not advertising.....
AggieDruggist89 said:
I'm actually thinking about installing a sprinkler system over the roof to douse my house. I can clear as much under rush as I can but in a windy wildfire situation, flying embers can land anywhere.
Instead of water, wonder if you could use that "red stuff" and douse the roof. I believe that stuff will protect for 48+ hours.
The guy that owns that is a retired Texan from the waste management business.MarkTwain said:
Build a home outta non combustible materials works well
I guarantee any new builds will be required to be built with surviving such fore events in mind.
No wood decks, no wood cladding, no wood soffit or fascia and a roof system that doesn't easily combust. Either metal or a ballast system.
No wood decks, no wood cladding, no wood soffit or fascia and a roof system that doesn't easily combust. Either metal or a ballast system.
Bushfire Sprinkler Protection Systems used in Australia. Seems like a similar concept could be used here in the States.
LA County Fired Department and other first responders have been asking for Starlink, "...for quite some time ....but red tape got in the way...."!!!
Why couldn't the Mayor of LA or the Governor help the first responders acquire Starlink.
And while I'm at it, do our first responders in the Lone Star State have Starlink???
Musk Starlink CA First Responders
Why couldn't the Mayor of LA or the Governor help the first responders acquire Starlink.
And while I'm at it, do our first responders in the Lone Star State have Starlink???
Musk Starlink CA First Responders
Quote:
Los Angeles wildfires: Elon Musk personally delivers Starlinks to California first responders
Nonprofit rescue group Grey Bull Rescue met with Musk, California first responders to help set up Starlink devices
Audrey Conklin By Audrey Conklin Fox News Published January 14, 2025 8:00am EST
Elon Musk answers call to deliver Starlinks in wildfire-ravaged California: Grey Bull Rescue chairman
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is donating Stalinks to those in need of Wi-Fi in California amid devastating wildfires that have left residents without internet or cellphone service.
FIRST ON FOX: SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is donating Starlinks to those in need of Wi-Fi in California amid devastating wildfires that have left residents without internet or cellphone service.
Nonprofit rescue group Grey Bull Rescue met with Musk and first responders over the weekend to help set up the Starlink devices, which connect to satellites, in the Los Angeles area.
"Effective communication is essential in any crisis, war, or disasterespecially in remote and devastated areas where communication infrastructure is destroyed like we see here in California," Grey Bull Rescue Chair Bryan Stern told Fox News Digital in a Monday statement. "Yesterday, Grey Bull Rescue was honored to assist the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) by securing Starlink mini units to provide them with critical communications in areas devastated by wildfires."
Stern noted, however, that LACFD and other emergency services agencies in California "have been asking for Starlink for quite some time for expressly this type of scenario," but red tape got "in the way of this mission-critical need of effective disaster communications for first responders."....
......
Actually, dude was Waste Management CEO and bought it b/c his kids went to school in the area and needed "a place to stay" when visiting his kids.Quote:
The guy that owns that is a retired Texan from the waste management business.
But, your post made me think of this...
But remember you would need your own water supply and pump to get it up there.AggieDruggist89 said:
I'm actually thinking about installing a sprinkler system over the roof to douse my house. I can clear as much under rush as I can but in a windy wildfire situation, flying embers can land anywhere.
My house in Austin backed to a greenbelt with a ravine running in the middle. Steep and lots of floor litter. Had a huge wooden deck (around the back half of the pool) that was on stilts and jutted out over the steep hillside of the greenbelt. So if there ever was a fire in the greenbelt it would come right up the hill.
When The Hubs and I married, he bought a large submersible pump, LDH and regular firehose and a variety of fire nozzles. The pool held about 50-60,000 gallons. (Yes it was a big deep pool with a diving board.) So if there ever were a fire in the greenbelt, he could attack it from high ground and keep the deck safe. Added bonus was that he could keep both neighbors' fences and homes safe as well as he could run from side to side across the entire back side of the lot, about 115 feet.
Yep David Steiner, has one in Florida very similar design that no hurricanes have hurt.
"We're going to turn this red Prius into a soup kitchen!"
Insurance companies have like a 3% profit margin...
I work in the concrete and masonry industry. Homebuilders want nothing to do with anything other than the cheapest materials they can get. That is softwood lumber put up by unskilled laborers.MarkTwain said:
Build a home outta non combustible materials works well
State of Texas actually banned municipalities from increasing construction standards a few years ago on behalf of the homebuilders.
Depends on where you build. And what you're building
Throw a brush blade on the weed whackers and "Bob's your uncle!" Those things are outstanding and you don't have to keep feeding string.Sid Farkas said:
Me and a bud got paid $50 each back in'79 to clear several acres of tall grasses above, below and around our church in Thousand Oaks, Ca, near where the palisades fires is heading today. We had gas powered weed whackers and that's it. It was a lot of work, but very doable.
How much more is it to use concrete to build a home rather than wood frame?
AggieDruggist89 said:
Curious if metal roof can protect from fire in addition to stucco. I do know Palisades has many older homes with wooden sidings but there are tile roofs. Curious how tile roofed house with stucco catches on fire.
Properly installed clay tiles can have a wind resistance of 100mph or more and obviously don't burn. Stucco is also pretty resilient, but it depends on the install and particular system it's on top of.
The failure point is vents and soffits where embers can blow in and start a fire in attics or other spaces where they can get to dry, combustible materials. If the embers are blowing in, they're also getting good airflow and a chimney effect from really hot air coming off a fire. There's also typically lots of things around houses that can burn. Windows and doors can have casings that could potentially catch fire, but the glass could also crack due to thermal shock or stresses from being heated. Then it's a free for all with embers getting inside.
aggiederelict said:
How much more is it to use concrete to build a home rather than wood frame?
A lot. A better solution would be to use CMU for the.
How much difference between CMU and wood frame?
aggiederelict said:
How much more is it to use concrete to build a home rather than wood frame?
I built my house using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and it was about 2% more than a conventionally built wood framed home.
There's a lot you can do, even if it's not a full masonry house.
1. Use hardie/stucco/brick/stone as your exterior cladding
2. Use a metal roof or a baffled roof system.
3. Put denseglass on your soffit before putting on the visible soffit, and use hardie or stucco for that.
4. Use tree or other composite material for your deck.
5. Clear your land to be 20 ft away from your house.
6. Collect rainwater for irrigation so you can run sprinklers when the waters out. Obviously, if the power is gone and your pump is gone, that won't do as much.
7. Use metal or 1hr fire doors for exterior applications
8. Orient the house in the best possible way, if possible. Ie- don't put you're garage facing the prevailing winds of fire season
Those things alone will give you a good protection from most fires. At some point, just as preparing your house for any other natural disaster, you can only do so much for a reasonable cost.
1. Use hardie/stucco/brick/stone as your exterior cladding
2. Use a metal roof or a baffled roof system.
3. Put denseglass on your soffit before putting on the visible soffit, and use hardie or stucco for that.
4. Use tree or other composite material for your deck.
5. Clear your land to be 20 ft away from your house.
6. Collect rainwater for irrigation so you can run sprinklers when the waters out. Obviously, if the power is gone and your pump is gone, that won't do as much.
7. Use metal or 1hr fire doors for exterior applications
8. Orient the house in the best possible way, if possible. Ie- don't put you're garage facing the prevailing winds of fire season
Those things alone will give you a good protection from most fires. At some point, just as preparing your house for any other natural disaster, you can only do so much for a reasonable cost.
They certainly are one of the stronger lobbying groups in America.TxAg82 said:I work in the concrete and masonry industry. Homebuilders want nothing to do with anything other than the cheapest materials they can get. That is softwood lumber put up by unskilled laborers.MarkTwain said:
Build a home outta non combustible materials works well
State of Texas actually banned municipalities from increasing construction standards a few years ago on behalf of the homebuilders.
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