Mercury Insurance seeks to dispel California wildfire myths

Wildfire Myths - forest fire

The season is lining up to be a record breaking one and the insurer hopes residents will inform themselves.

Mercury Insurance has taken to its newsroom and has enlisted the help of expert Douglas Kent in the hopes of helping Californians to dispel some of the most commonly believed wildfire myths.

As the blazes are being accepted as a normal part of living in the state, residents need the facts.

The first among the wildfire myths that was addressed right away in the insurance company’s recent publication on its site was to point out that one unfortunate thing that people believe that isn’t true is that the blazes happen only during a specific season. If there’s anything that this year – and several recent years – have illustrated, it is that the fires can occur well beyond the months that are traditionally the hottest and driest. As a result, the insurer recommends that homeowners prepare themselves year-round for the possibility.

The next myth was linked with the first, and it was that prevention and maintenance isn’t required all year round. Since the risk of fires continues throughout the entire year, keeping up preventative habits and maintaining the property to reduce the potential damage from a fire is always beneficial. Maintaining a property throughout the year can help to ensure that if a wildfire does occur, the home would survive it.

As this year’s rainy season didn’t come with much rain it’s important to overcome wildfire myths.

Mercury Insurance underscored the expansion of the fire season in California. This year, the landscape is particularly dry and could easily be damaged if a blaze was nearby.

The insurer also pointed out that many Californians are under the impression that they would not be able to afford wildfire protection for their homes. However, it encouraged all residents to learn the facts, as maintenance is the primary key to resilience in a fire-prone area, and that is far more affordable than having to purchase materials. Buying things is not necessarily required to protect a home against fires.

“Caring for your home throughout the year has many benefits, including improving the chance it will survive a wildfire,” explained Kelly Glover, Mercury Insurance Wildfire Myths - forest fireDirector of Personal Property Underwriting. “Develop a plan to tackle a small number of tasks each month, as this will make the list very manageable.” This basic step can easily help to overcome one of the most broadly believed wildfire myths.

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