We are excited to announce the latest episode of the All Things Wildfire podcast, where we dive into the world of wildfire protection and property safety! In this brand-new episode, our host O.P. interviews Rich Snyder, a firefighter with 36 years of experience in various roles, including fire marshal, engine captain, and station captain.

Show Notes:

• Host O.P. is joined by special guest Rich Snyder, a 36-year veteran of the fire service with experience as a fire marshal, engine captain, and wildland engine boss.

• Rich discusses his experience with long-term fire retardant use at fire stations, a method that began at the Rose Bowl in 1990 as an experiment by the Forest Service.

• The application of fire retardant was used to protect the community from stray fireworks during the 4th of July celebrations.

• Rich explains how he helped organize and develop a more scientific approach to applying fire retardants, which he has been doing for over 30 years.

• Fire retardants have been proven effective in preventing the spread of fires in various situations, including cases of vehicle fires near brush and incidents involving stray fireworks during the 4th of July.

• Overall, the episode explores firefighting techniques and the use of fire retardants to protect properties and communities from wildfires.

Thank you for joining us on the journey of fighting wildfires. We understand that we are in a constant battle with mother nature and things seem hopeless when we have to evacuate, leave our homes and not know what we will come back to.

On our podcast, we bring experts to educate homeowners, communities, and businesses on what they can do against wildfires. Our team consists of wildfire prevention specialists, retired fire captains, and fire marshals.

If you're trying to get educated, find a solution to the wildfires, and do everything you can for your property then you have arrived at the right place!

Seth is the CEO of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, which works on the border of Santa Cruz County and San Mateo County with other FireSafe councils. He is a professional who leads the way for FireSafe councils and has been involved with multiple FireSafe councils, but very few have as much activity as he does. The wildland urban interface (WUI) is often depicted as a house in the forest, but it is actually a heavily populated area with neighbors five feet away.

The wildland urban interface is a combination of urban downtown San Jose and rural areas and is a high-risk area for wildfires. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council works with other FireSafe councils on the border of Santa Cruz County and San Mateo County.

The WUI is growing in California, and it's not in the proverbial forests. It's in suburban areas that tend to meet up where the vegetation also kind of crisscrosses, and that's the biggest challenge that we see and that we work on.

When the FireSafe Council opportunity opened up, he thought it would be a great fit for me to help them be more creative.

Seth said this problem is not only a technology solution but a combination of tech plus practical application with boots on the ground.

Silicon Valley savvy means developing other revenue streams besides donations and funding typical philanthropic work.

As we looked at the strategy, we decided to become a deeper, more significant partner to our clients, which included municipalities, local towns, and individual homeowners.

Technology is helping to lead the way in reassessing how California prices insurance, by using historic catastrophe models to better determine if a risk is mitigated enough to write a policy.

In this episode, we are joined by Steve Hawks, who has dedicated over three decades to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Steve's impressive career began as a firefighter and eventually led him to serve as the Assistant Deputy Director of CAL FIRE's Office of the State Fire Marshal's Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation and Fire Engineering and Investigations Divisions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resource Management from Humboldt State University and has served on various CAL FIRE Incident Management Teams for 13 years. After retiring in December 2022, Steve returned to the CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal's Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Division and has also taken on the role of Director of Wildfire Policy for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) team. During our conversation, Steve shares his insights on community wildfire preparedness and mitigation strategies, including defensible space home hardening, fuel reduction projects, grant funding, and other programs implemented by CAL FIRE's Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Division. He also provides a detailed analysis of the impacts of Assembly Bill 38 on homeowners living in high fire hazard zones, which mandates defensible space compliance inspections and proof of passing. Join us as we dive deep into the world of wildfire preparedness and mitigation with Steve Hawks. You can listen to the episode on our website, or on your favorite podcast platform, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. And don't forget to subscribe to our show and follow us on social media to stay up to date on all things wildfire. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy this episode.

In this podcast episode, Tim Bauer, Senior Vice President at Allied Restoration Services, discusses the challenges faced by brokers, insurance companies, and family offices when it comes to insuring high-net-worth homes in California. The insurance market has become very hard due to major wildfires in recent years, resulting in increased premiums and non-renewals for homeowners. Some homeowners are choosing to self-insure with risk mitigation, while others are turning to the California Fair Plan, which offers reduced limits and exclusions that limit recovery for rebuilding homes. One significant exclusion is smoke mitigation, which is essential after a fire, as every property affected by a wildfire is also impacted by ash and soot.

The conversation discusses the challenges of obtaining wildfire insurance coverage in California, particularly with the increasing prevalence of wildfires. The use of non-admitted carriers is explored, and while these carriers offer more coverage options, they can be more expensive and have limitations. Homeowners must take steps to reduce their risk and make their homes more insurable, and brokers must ensure that clients understand what they are purchasing. The episode concludes with the importance of taking measures to prevent a claim from occurring and the traumatic impact of experiencing a house fire.

We are excited to have structural engineer Dr. Anne Cope from IBHS Research on the show today. IBHS Research is part of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a 501 (C) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization.

Anne is the Chief Engineer at IBHS, where she leads the development of research programs to improve structural performance during natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and thunderstorms. She also oversees the implementation of research findings and building codes and standards.

This show is for you if you are ready to take control of your wildfire preparedness. We cover the science behind keeping homes safe and how small steps can make your home safer and more resilient. Anne also explains why this is important from a homeowner and insurance perspective. She talks about upcoming regulations that should result in insurance incentives for homeowners and shares how anyone can get started in incremental steps.

Highlights:

• [00:57] Dr. Anne Cope is a structural engineer at the IBHS Research Center. They do research about wildfires, wind, rain, hail, and more.
• [01:43] She grew up studying the impact of wind on structures. Fortified is a program and construction standard to reduce damage to homes developed from years of engineering judgment and testing.
• [02:09] The secrets for keeping houses together in the wind are the connections. The roof needs to stay connected to the walls.
• Embers need to be kept out during a fire. It's all about the details.
• [04:39] IBHS is funded by the insurance industry similar to the way crash dummies are funded by the insurance industry. They're looking for cost-effective workable solutions that will make their homes and communities safer.
• [06:02] Insurance companies have been hit badly by wildfires. Companies like IBHS can help lead the pack in finding solutions to make communities more resilient.
• [07:50] Wildfire prepared home. You can find solutions to wildfire prepare your home at WildfirePrepared.org. There is a designation you can get in California.
• [09:20] Insurers are looking for solutions and ways for home owners to differentiate the safety of their homes. They'll begin to offer incentives for homeowners who do things to reduce their risk.
• [11:57] Homeowners can take control of their own situations having a wildfire prepared home.
• [16:16] Safer from Wildfires is a California interagency partnership to help protect homes and businesses from wildfires.
• [17:02] Take advantage of fireproofing your home and then talk to your insurance agent about finding a good solution for your home and situation.
• [17:38] We aren't powerless against wildfires. The science that Wildfire Prepares uses is designed for single family homes, but it can be adapted for businesses too.

• IBHS Research Center
• Wildfire Prepared
• Safer from Wildfires

Protecting Your Home Against Wildfires

Dive into the Latest Trends and Hot Topics in Protecting Properties Against Wildfire

Highlights:

• [00:57] OP is excited about the launch of this show. He experienced the Blue Ridge Fire in December of 2020 first hand and now understands what our customers go through. He had been in the disaster restoration business for over 28 years, but this was the first time he experienced the uncertainty and anxiety of being evacuated by a wildfire.
• [03:25] He knew that homeowners needed to be able to set their properties up to combat disasters and the risk of wildfire.
• [04:16] Every year more and more homeowners are affected by wildfires worldwide.
• [05:03] Stewart Barrios is the General Manager for Allied Restoration which is a disaster restoration company. He's responsible for the client experience from start to finish.
• [06:20] This podcast is designed to bring awareness and education around the industry. We are going to have interesting guests from fire fighters to insurance professionals.
• [07:20] We are also going to talk about issues with getting fire insurance.
• [07:53] Dana has been with Allied Restoration for five years. She works in admin, HR, accounting, and compliance. She's excited about working with people like Rich Snyder who is a lead expert on wildfire prevention and education.
• [10:08] April has been a firefighter and paramedic for years. She provides a wealth of knowledge about wildfire prevention and protection.
• [10:50] Rich used to spray the Rose Bowl with long-term fire retardant. It's exciting to be part of protecting historical areas around Los Angeles.
• [12:04] We'll be talking about solutions that technology provides in the battle against wildfires such as long-term fire retardant.
• [13:20] We can create a custom solution for homeowners to make your house more safe.
• [13:49] One of the things we look at is zero to five foot clearance around the house.
• [15:22] Then we dive into other assessments from windows to trees.
• [17:57] The type of red fire retardant that planes spray during wildfires is now available in a clear spray.
• [21:02] Don't wait for the fire season to start before you harden your home.
• [23:01] Homeowners can partner with insurance companies to manage fire risk.
• [26:30] Having fire protection can give you and your family security. We have power to prevent the damage done by fires.
• [27:27] The best time to get started is today. We aren't powerless against wildfires.