State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will enforce the new insurance pricing regulation he wrote recognizing and rewarding wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses.
Commissioner Lara’s regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies. The regulation is now state law and included in the California Code of Regulations.
“Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires,” states Lara in a news release. “The reality of climate change is driving my determination to help communities better prepare, help our firefighters save lives and help more Californians find insurance they can afford.”
Lara’s regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rate filings incorporating wildfire safety standards created by the Department of Insurance and to establish a process for releasing wildfire risk determinations to residents and businesses within 180 days. The news release notes that transparency is an important benefit of this regulation, requiring insurance companies to provide consumers with their property’s “wildfire risk score” and creating a right to appeal that score.
In 2019 insurance companies representing 7% of the residential market provided insurance discounts. Today that figure has grown to 40%, according to Department of Insurance data. When this new regulation is fully implemented, it is expected to be 100% of the residential and commercial market aligned with the Safer from Wildfires framework.
Lara directed the Department of Insurance to write the regulation to protect consumers and improve market competition after hearing first-hand from consumers and business owners about their frustration with insurance companies that did not consider mitigation in their rating plans. During town hall meetings in more than 38 counties and an extensive Department of Insurance investigatory wildfire hearing in 2020, consumers testified that their homes and businesses were subject to “wildfire risk scores” that many did not know existed and had no right to appeal if inaccurate.
Home hardening retrofits, along with defensible space, significantly increase a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire, according to Chief Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire deputy director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation. “Using the latest fire science and recent wildfire data, these retrofits and landscaping requirements provide a strong path to structure survivability,” he states, adding that Cal Fire is currently funding more than $3 million in local wildfire prevention projects to prepare communities for wildfire.
The new wildfire safety regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rates that recognize the benefit of safety measures such as upgraded roofs and windows, defensible space and community-wide programs such as Firewise USA and the Fire Risk Reduction Community designation developed by the state’s Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, which currently includes the counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Butte, as well as cities and local districts.
Lake Valley Fire Protection District Notice of Vacancy and Intent to Appoint Director
The community served by the Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) is hereby notified pursuant to Government Code §1780 that there is a vacancy on the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Board due to failure to elect. The appointee will represent the community served by the Lake Valley Fire Protection District as a Board Director. The position to be filled is a 4-year term beginning December, 2022 and ending December, 2026.
To apply, candidates must submit a letter of intent along with a current resume to the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, attention Kayla Galvan by Friday, October 7, 2022 by 5:00 PM.
Eligibility:
Any person who is 18 years of age or older, a registered voter and resident of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and who is not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding office, is eligible to be appointed a member of the Board of Directors.
Interviews:
The Board of Directors will interview prospective candidates at a public meeting on October 13, 2022, accept oral or written public input at that time, and select the appointee by a majority vote.
The Mosquito Fire started on September 6 at 6:00 PM near Oxbow Reservoir, 3 miles east of Forest Hill, in Placer County. The fire continues to burn in brush and timber in very steep and rugged terrain. The cause in under investigation and no containment date has been set. Your Lake Valley Firefighters are actively involved in monitoring the situation and are prepared to assist our neighboring departments if necessary. For the very latest information, please click, bookmark and follow the links to updates and resources listed below.
INCIDENT UPDATE LINKS
For current fire status, click on any of the following links:
The Lake Valley Fire Protection District (District) welcomes into service a new 2022 Rosenbauer Commander apparatus during a wet-down ceremony on Monday, August 29 at 10 a.m. at Fire Station 7. The public is invited to attend. Donuts, coffee and refreshments will be provided. A wet-down ceremony is a tradition celebrated by fire departments to commission new fire apparatus by anointing it with water sprayed from the retiring fire engine. The ritual dates back to the late 1800s when newly commissioned horses would be washed along with the pumper at their assigned firehouse and then backed into the firehouse bay. “We are excited to mark our 75th year with the purchase of a new fire engine and would like the community to understand the value and improved service delivered with this new equipment,” said Interim Fire Chief Chad Stephen.
The new 2022 Rosenbauer Commander is the first of its kind in the fleet. The new apparatus, designated Engine 7, has a 600 horsepower Cummins diesel motor and an Allison 4500 six speed transmission on a Marmon Harrington 4×4 chassis. The engine holds 750 gallons of water and is capable of pumping over 1500 gallons per minute. To reduce the cancer risk to firefighters, Rosenbauer developed a clean air cab and installed an in-cab recirculation air scrubber.
During the ceremony, we will be retiring our 1997 HME fire apparatus that until last week provided first out response in the District. The HME served our District for 25 years as Engine 7, Engine 6 and later Engine 5 our reserve. The HME responded to hundreds of fires in its history including the Angora Fire and most recently the Caldor Fire. The HME has been one of our longest serving and most dependable fire engines in our 75 years of history.
“We’re very excited to introduce the 2022 Rosenbauer Commander to the Lake Valley Fire Protection District. It brings the right mix of advantages and capabilities for our ever changing community and environment, said Fleet Manager and Fire Mechanic Andrew Sessions.”
The Key to Evacuating Quickly and Safely is Preparation
Contact: Jamie Roice-Gomes, Living With Fire Program Manager [email protected]
As record drought and elevated wildfire conditions persist,the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) reminds residents and visitors to develop an evacuation plan for your family and pack a Go-Bag before the next wildfire.
Emergency responders follow carefully designed evacuation plans that consider all factors when implementing evacuation orders. When asked to leave, it’s crucial to evacuate quickly and safely — preparing for evacuation ahead of time is the best way to ensure a safe, successful evacuation. One way to prepare is to pack a Go-Bag.
“When it comes to evacuation, planning ahead is always a good idea,” said Fire Marshal, Eric Guevin, from Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District. “Be prepared to act fast because time matters, and it could be a matter of life and death or loss of property.”
Choose a Go-Bag(s) that can be easily lifted into your vehicle and has room for necessary items to last a minimum of 72 hours up to two weeks. Rolling suitcases, backpacks and cloth shopping bags are good choices. Once packed, practice loading the Go-Bags into your vehicle and drive potential evacuation routes with family and pets to ensure you’re prepared and able to evacuate quickly.
Some items to pack into evacuation Go-Bags include:
Enough medication for a minimum of 72 hours up to two weeks
Lists of prescriptions and their dosages, prescription numbers, medication names, prescribing physicians, and pharmacy names and contact information
Bottled water for a minimum of 72 hours up to two weeks
Non-perishable foods that don’t require preparation or refrigeration such as nuts, trail bars, jerky, and cereal
NIOSH N95 or P100 masks for wildfire smoke
Important documents
Cell phone chargers
Supplies, water, food and medications for pets, including pet carrier(s)
The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) consists of representatives of Tahoe Basin fire agencies, CAL FIRE, Nevada Division of Forestry and related state agencies, University of California and Nevada Cooperative Extensions, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the USDA Forest Service, conservation districts from both states, the California Tahoe Conservancy, and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Our Mission is to protect lives, property and the environment within the Lake Tahoe Basin from wildfire by implementing prioritized fuels reduction projects and engaging the public in becoming a Fire Adapted Community.
Agencies share simple tree removal and defensible space steps in urgent call to action
Contact: Jeff Cowen, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, (775) 589-5278 or [email protected]
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., July 20, 2022 – With smoke in the air again, the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) are sharing an urgent call to action for Lake Tahoe residents and property owners to create defensible space and to follow a few simple steps if tree removal is needed.
Fire agencies, TRPA, and other water quality agencies are in agreement on all defensible space requirements and have developed simple tree removal guidelines to
aid property owners in protecting homes and neighborhoods.
Defensible space is the area between a house and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been managed to reduce the wildfire threat. Creating this space allows firefighters to safely defend the house and could even improve the likelihood of the home surviving without assistance. TFFT Incident Commander and North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Division Chief Isaac Powning says while defensible space sometimes requires a little planning, it should be a top priority for residents. “Start with the simple things like raking pine needles and moving firewood away from structures,” Powning said. “Getting a free defensible space evaluation from your local fire agency will tell you what is needed, then it’s a matter of breaking it up into manageable projects. Tree removal may be a part of it, but the other recommendations are just as important.”
Following the 3,100-acre Angora Fire in 2007, forest managers, fire agencies, and water quality agencies including TRPA formed the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team to coordinate efforts, streamline policies, and increase the pace and scale of forest health projects. The improved coordination led to some of the preparations that helped firefighters protect Lake Tahoe communities last year when the Caldor Fire entered the basin and burned nearly 10,000 acres.
“Property owners have a critical part to play in creating more resilient forests and protecting communities and TRPA encourages everyone to follow defensible space
guidelines,” TRPA Public Information Officer Jeff Cowen said. “Public agencies are in alignment and working together to prevent and prepare for wildfires and protect the natural resources we all treasure at Tahoe.” Most fire hazard trees and limbs can be removed without a permit. Trees more than 14
inches in diameter and trees in a few specific circumstances require a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency permit, which is usually available from the local fire protection district with a defensible space evaluation.
Here is what property owners can do without contacting a permitting agency:
Remove and manage brush in the “lean, clean, and green” zone within 30 feet of
structures. Brush and smaller trees are ladder fuels, which can carry flames
upward from the ground and into the tree canopy.
Remove dead limbs, limbs within 10 feet of a chimney outlet, building or deck,
and any live limbs in the lower one-third of the tree.
Remove live trees less than 14 inches diameter at breast height. Diameter at
breast height is measured 4.5 feet above ground on the uphill side of the tree. If
unsure, use a string or soft measuring tape to measure around the tree. A 14-
inch tree is 43.9 inches around.
Remove dead trees. A conifer (pine/fir tree) is considered dead when it doesn’t
have any green needles. Deciduous (leafy) trees can be determined dead by a
qualified forester.
Outside of these circumstances, the first step is to request a free defensible space evaluation from the local fire district or department. In most cases, defensible space evaluators can issue tree permits on behalf of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, if needed. Residents, renters, and property owners can find their fire district contacts at tahoelivingwithfire.com/. In sensitive areas, such as stream environment zones and along the lakeshore, vegetation removal should be done in consultation with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency forester. Contact and other information are available at trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/.
Tree removal can only be done with permission of the property owner. Information for renters is available at tahoelivingwithfire.com/. To report fire hazards on Forest Service lots, contact the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit hotline at (530) 543-2759 or online at fs.usda.gov/ltbmu . For lots owned by the California Tahoe Conservancy, call (530) 542-5580 or report a concern online at tahoe.ca.gov/report-an- issue/. Concerns can also be reported to your local fire district or department.
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About the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team
The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) consists of representatives of Tahoe Basin fire agencies, CAL
FIRE, Nevada Division of Forestry and related state agencies, University of California and Nevada
Cooperative Extensions, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the USDA Forest Service, conservation
districts from both states, the California Tahoe Conservancy, and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality
Control Board. Our Mission is to protect lives, property and the environment within the Lake Tahoe Basin
from wildfire by implementing prioritized fuels reduction projects and engaging the public in becoming a
Fire Adapted Community.
For more information, visit https://tahoe.livingwithfire.info/about/
