Transcript Laguna Fires - Insurance Community Center

Insight on Property Valuation
Part #2
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Components of a Structure
Necessary to Estimate
Replacement Cost
Including a discussion on how the various
components contribute to Fire Hazard
Identification
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One of the Best Lessons in
Construction
Laguna Fires October 1993
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/howto/articles/fire-resistant-details.aspx
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Laguna Fires
• That was the scene in October 1993
after a fire storm destroyed nearly 400
homes in Laguna Beach, California. The
fires started several miles inland and
swept to the sea at a brisk 2 mph to 4
mph, consuming increasingly thick
vegetation along the way.
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Laguna Fires
• Frequently, the flames boiled 50 ft. or 60 ft. into the
air, and they reached temperatures of 2,000°F or
greater
• The most obvious question homeowners, builders,
architects and code officials asked as they combed the
rubble for clues was how did a precious few
structures survive such an inferno while houses on all
sides vanished in the fire? What they learned was a
number of lessons that likely will work their way into
local building codes and should help to reduce the
damage of future fires.
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Laguna Fires
• The home of To Bui and Doris Bender
was called a "miracle house" by the Los
Angeles Times because of its dramatic
survival in a neighborhood almost
totally devastated by the fire. Why did
this trilevel structure and a few others
like it survive while neighbors' homes on
all sides, sometimes no more than 10 ft.
or 15 ft. away, burned to the ground?
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Laguna Fires
• "It's in the details," Bui insists. He knows
about such details. Originally from
Vietnam, he lived and worked as a
structural engineer in Germany for more
than 10 years. There, the predominant
building materials are concrete, stone,
brick and steel. "In Germany, structures
are designed to last hundreds of years,"
he said. "I built my house to last."
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• To prevent heat
buildup, this house was
constructed without
eave overhangs, which
also eliminates soffit
vents. Cornices are built
up with 2x12s and 2x8s
and covered with 1-in.
stucco. The class-A fireretardant roof tiles are
plugged with metal bird
stop.
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Dormer Type Roof Vent
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Minimal Gable End Vent
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Wooden deck surfaces are
troweled over with several layers
of fire-resistant coating.
Undersides of all decking are
stuccoed over with a 1-in. layer of
cement. The glassed-in deck rails
are further protection against fire.
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The owner of this Laguna
Beach house stuccoed the
undersides of all wooden
deck surfaces to a maximum
thickness of about 1 in.,
virtually eliminating any
exposed wood.
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Types of Basic Building
Construction
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Tilt-Up
• Tilt up or tilt-slab is a type of building, and
a construction technique using concrete.
The process resembles barn raising
specifically and wood platform framing
generally. It is cost-effective for low
buildings.
• Wikepedia.com
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Cinderblock
• It is block
• Could be used in the foundation of the
home
• It is fire resistive
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Wood Frame
• Exterior wall of wood or other combustible
construction, including wood-iron clad, stucco on
wood or plaster on combustible supports. Also
aluminum or plaster siding over frame.
– Most popular
– Covered with stucco so more fire resistive
than siding
– A lot of insurance companies do not want to
write this
– Fire zones define type of building construction
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Brick and Masonry
• Masonry
– Exterior wall of wood or other combustible
construction, including wood-iron clad, stucco
on wood or plaster on combustible supports
– Masonry Veneer—Exterior walls of
combustible construction veneered with brick
or stone
• More common in commercial structures however
common in East
• EQ standards make it very expensive
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Metal/Frame
• More in commercial construction and
additions to existing structures like
garages, barns
• Depending on what zones will determine
if it is allowable because it can melt and
burn especially in a wildland fire.
• Metal products when exposed to heat can
burn and melt
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Superior Construction
• Non-Combustible—Exterior walls and floors
and roof constructed of and supported by metal
or other non-combustible materials
• Masonry Non-Combustible— Exterior walls
constructed of masonry materials and floors and
roof of metal or other non-combustible materials
• Fire Resistive— Exterior walls and floors and
roof constructed of masonry or other fire resistive
materials
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Types of Foundations
• Determining the types of foundations is
very important for purposes of loss
settlement and determination of value
• If a foundation is cracked due to
excessive heat, for example in a fire, then
the loss is considered a constructive total
loss and the foundation must be replaced
• Often times the foundation may not be up
to code such as in the example of the
Oakland Fires
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Types of Foundations
• Type of Foundation
– Depending on when and where a house was
built, the foundation may be made of stone,
brick, preservative-treated lumber, concrete
block, or poured concrete. By far the most
common material for foundations is concrete
– There are three types of conventional
concrete foundations: poured concrete,
concrete block, and post-and-pier. Size and
acceptable types are regulated by building
codes
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Foundations and the
Homeowners
To determine the amount of insurance required to equal 80%
of the full replacement cost of the building immediately
before the loss, do not include the value of:
(1) Excavations, footings, foundations, piers, or any other
structures or devices that support all or part of the building,
which are below the undersurface of the lowest basement
floor;
(2) Those supports described in (1) above which are
below the surface of the ground inside the foundation walls,
if there is no basement; and
(3) Underground flues, pipes, wiring and drains.
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Roofing Materials
• Roofing Materials are very important in
terms of fire hazard
• Many older types of roofs are no longer
acceptable, such as wood shack, due to
their susceptibility to fire.
• Example is the Laguna Fires where the
roofs caught on fire and created
explosions that was a major cause in
spreading the loss to other homes.
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Roofing Materials
• Roofing materials can be a significant cost factor
in replacement of homes
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Shingles—Asphalt, Shingles Architectural
Wood Shake, Wood Victorian Scallop
Tile—Clay Concrete
Tar & Gravel
Slate
Tin
Cooper
Foam
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That’s a roof?
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That’s a roof?
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More than a roof—sunbathing!
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Siding Materials
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Stucco
Stone Veneer
Cement Fiber
Wood Clapboard
Brick Veneer
Cedar Shingle Siding
Engineered Wood Siding
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Slope
• The Slope on which a home is built enters
into the per square footage replacement
cost.
• As relates slope, various schemes for
rating fire hazard have been developed
• Five elements chosen by many agencies
are: vegetation, canopy cover, slope,
aspect, and elevation
• Slope and Other Fire Hazard Considerations
http://grayback.com/applegate-valley/fireplan/how-freq.htm
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Slope and Other Fire Hazard
Considerations
• Vegetation directly influences rate of spread,
flame length, fire line intensity, heat per unit area,
and other elements of concern in the
suppression of wildland fire
• Canopy cover and ladder fuels are closely
related when it comes to hazard rating. A greater
percentage of ladder fuels means a greater
likelihood of a surface fire moving into the crown
canopy, increasing the difficulty of suppressing
the fire. An area with a thick shrub cover has a
higher hazard rating than a grassy area, which
has neither canopy cover nor ladder fuels
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Slope and Other Fire Hazard
Considerations
• Gravity dictates that many if not most
things travel downhill faster than uphill.
Not so with fire, which defies gravity in
obedience to other laws of physics
(warmer air rises). Thus, slope is a
factor in the rate of fire spread. As the
slope becomes steeper, fire increases
in speed. On flat terrain, the spread of
fire relies more on wind.
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Slope
• Slope is graded in the following broad
categories
– Flat to Slight
– Moderate
– Steep
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The Unexpected
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Geographic Location of the
Property
• Factors previously discussed are key
issues here as well.
– vegetation,
– canopy cover,
– slope,
– aspect, and
– elevation
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Oakland Fires 1991
The destructive Oakland fires were an eye-opener
when it came to rebuilding costs in the Bay Area.
With the steep slopes in the Oakland hills, the bill
came in at $400 per square foot rather than the
$100 national average. www.paloaltoonline.com
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Materials used as relates
values and fire hazard
• There are checklists that are useful to
help identify hazards and mitigate them
such as: www.befiresmart.com/protect
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Age of the structure or the year it
was built
• The age of the structure is important for
valuation from a couple of aspects
– Building could be substantially out of
code
– Building may be able to be built as it
was prior to the loss
– The building my be “historical” or have
unique building items that must be
included in Replacement Cost
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Size and Type of Attached
Garage
• Garages vary in type, size, usage and
construction (specialty finishes)
• Often times the garage is overlooked in
the overall valuation and must be
considered as a separate line item
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Additional costs associated
with single or custom home
• Estimators only provide basic information
and “estimates” of value
• Broker/Agents should always inspect a
home, take pictures and do an on site
evaluation for any costs associated with
customization
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San Diego Fires 2007
Oakland Fires
Laguna Beach Fires
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Effects of Catastrophes on
Replacement Cost
• Under Normal Situations Repair and Replace
• Following a CAT loss the costs of construction
can sky rocket
– Cost of permits
– Change in building codes
– Supply and demand
– Fuel Charges
– Inability to replace at the same site—
especially a consider in flood prone areas
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Effects of Catastrophes on
Replacement Cost
• Construction labor shortages
– Example is the San Jose Fires when
2300 homes were damaged. Prior to
the loss the estimated costs/sq footage
replacement cost for typical homes in
the area were $100/sq.ft. Following
the loss it was $300.00/sq. ft. because
of supply and demand
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Effects of Catastrophes on
Replacement Cost
• Building supply shortages
– Example was Hurricane Andrew where massive
amounts of lumber were sent to rebuild in the area
which created a shortage and increased cost of lumber
on a national basis
– “cement supplies will continue to be a problem for
hurricane-wracked southern states and fast-growing
areas in the southwest,” unless the Commerce
Department alleviates cement shortages by
suspending the duty on Mexican cement.
(http://rermag.com/Constrcution_Costs_112105/
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Effects of Catastrophes on
Replacement Cost
• Transportation delays can result in
increased construction time and cost.
Example is the Oklahoma Bridge collapse
that forced trucks to find alternative routes
that took longer, cost more fuel and
accordingly increased costs to the end
useer
• Permit restrictions can result in
increased costs, sometimes referred to as
demand surge and delays in rebuilding
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Review of Significant
Endorsements
•
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Guaranteed Replacement Cost
Extended Replacement Cost
Inflation Guard
Building Ordinance
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Guaranteed Replacement Cost
• The limit of insurance is suspended on
the described property.
• In the event of a total loss, the recovery is
the actual amount of the loss.
• In the event of a partial loss, the policy
pays replacement cost or ACV if the
property is not replaced.
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Guaranteed Replacement Cost
• Many homeowner policies prior to 1991
provided this enhanced coverage.
• In the aftermath of a catastrophic fire in
the Berkeley Hills above Oakland, most
homeowner policies revised this
provision.
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CIC Code as relates Guaranteed
Replacement Cost 10102
• Significant misuse of the “Guaranteed
Replacement Cost Endorsement” and
Extended Replacement Costs have
resulted in law suits following losses.
• Specifically the term Guaranteed was
misused leading the insured to believe
that the full cost of replacement was
“guaranteed” without restriction.
According the code makes specific
reference to this.
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Guaranteed Replacement
Cost Section 10102 of CIC
• e) No policy of residential property insurance may be
initially issued on and after January 1, 1993, as guaranteed
replacement cost coverage if it contains any maximum
limitation of coverage based on any set dollar limits,
percentage amounts, construction cost limits, indexing, or
any other preset maximum limitation for covered damage
to the insured dwelling. The limitations referred to in this
section are solely applicable to dwelling structure
coverages. Endorsements covering additional risks to the
insurer's dwelling structure coverage may have internal
limits as long as those endorsements are not called
guaranteed replacement cost coverage.
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Extended and Guaranteed
• Misuse of Extended Replacement Cost
AND Guaranteed Replacement Cost does
NOT remove the obligation to insure to
value and it is inappropriate and harmful
to an insured to underinsure their property
and rely on either of these endorsements
as remedies.
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Extended Replacement Cost
• Most homeowner policies today provide
coverage for the dwelling at an increased
percentage of the specified amount on
the policy.
• This provision has in the past been misused in setting value
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Extended Replacement Cost
• Commonly at 125% of the specified amount.
• Requires the home to be insured to 100% of
the insurance company’s replacement value.
• Must report any remodeling or additions that
increase the reconstruction cost above $5,000
or 5%, whichever is less.
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Catastrophe Coverages and
Types of Replacement Cost
• Following a Catastrophe loss there will be
increased costs of construction due to such
issues as: construction labor, building supplies,
fuel, transportation issues and permit restriction.
• All of these can contribute to demand surge and
the cost of rebuilding
• Replacement Cost estimators do not take into
account these increased costs
• This is the purpose of the Extended
Replacement Cost Endorsement
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Inflation Guard
• An Inflation Guard is usually a built in feature
on a Homeowners and Commercial Property
Form.
• The Inflation Guard may appear as a
percentage on the Declarations Page
• The intent of the Inflation Guard is to provide
coverage during the policy period to increase
by a percentage for inflation of building
costs.
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Inflation Guard
• Example: If the insured has a $100,000
limit for the dwelling and a 5% Inflation
Guard they will get 1/360th of a 5%
increase on a daily basis in the event of a
total loss.
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Inflation Guard HO 04 46
• For an additional premium, the limits of
liability for Coverages A, B, C and D will
be increased annually by
%*,
applied pro rata during the policy period.
• *Entries may be left blank if shown
elsewhere in this policy for this coverage.
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Building Ordinance
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Building Code Upgrades
• Building Code upgrades deal with the size and
construction of the entire structures and separately for
the square footage of the living space. Valuation must
be done to determine the amount necessary under the
Building Ordinance Endorsements
• This is not only important for older homes but is part of
insurance company’s eligibility.
• If a home is over a certain age then it must have required
upgrades which would include such items as electrical,
plumbing, and roofing. The company is specifically asking
these questions to mitigate the fire exposure and exposure
to other types of losses.
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Building Code Upgrades
www.bsc.ca.gov/
Building codes regulate how a building has to be
reconstructed following a loss. Types of
construction and costs attached thereto can vary
based on many factors:
• Size of the building and at what point it must be
sprinklered. Number of stories and nonstandard
interior wall heights is a factor. There is a point
with damage, when the building must be ripped
down and replaced in its entirety rather than
simply repairing damage. There are always
additional costs associated with building a
custom home.
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Building Code Upgrades
www.bsc.ca.gov/
• Geographic location in terms of set backs,
brush hazard and proximity to other
hazards
• If materials used in construction are up to
code in affect at the time of loss such as
heating, air conditioning, flooring, ceilings,
fireplaces, etc
• Cost of demolition and debris removal are
often written for a separate limit from the
increased cost of construction.
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Geographic Location of the
Property
• Construction costs differ tremendously based on where the
home is being built. This differs state by state and city by
city.
• The homeowners rating process begins with determining
the fire protection or dwelling class in which the risk is
located. Protection and dwelling classes are graded 1-10
(with Class 1 being the best and 10 the poorest) based on
the quality of the fire protection available in the specific
community, county, or fire protection area. This information
is accessed when doing the companies homeowner’s
estimates and rating typically web based.
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Homeowners Policy
• Section I – Exclusions
• We do not insure for loss caused directly or
indirectly by any of the following. Such loss is
excluded regardless of any other cause or event
contributing concurrently or in any sequence to
the loss.
• Ordinance or Law, meaning enforcement of any
ordinance or law regulating the construction,
repair, or demolition of a building or other
structure, unless specifically provided under this
policy.
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Building Ordinance Issues
• Tearing down undamaged dwelling
• Removing Debris
• Building the home as to updated building
codes
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Ordinance or Law
• You may use up to 10% of the limit of
liability that applies to Coverage A for
the increased costs you incur due to the
enforcement of any ordinance or law
which requires or regulates
– This is new to the 2000 series.
– This can be increased with the HO 04
77 Ordinance or Law Increased
Amount of Coverage.
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Building Code and CIC Section #10102
Language included in Building Code Upgrade
Coverage defined in section 10102 of the CIC
(g) Coverage provided for building code
upgrades by a policy of residential property
insurance shall be applicable to building codes,
ordinances, standards, or laws only to the extent
that those codes, ordinances, standards, or laws
do not impose stricter standards on the property
on the basis of the level of insurance coverage
applicable to the property.
• http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgibin/displaycode?section=ins&group=1000111000&file=10101-10107
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CIC Section #10103
• (5) Whether the policy provides coverage for the
increased costs of repairing or replacing damage
to the insured dwelling caused by a covered loss
because of building ordinances or laws
regulating the repair. In the event that no
coverage is provided for repairs that result from
new building ordinances or laws, the insurer shall
include in no less than 10-point typeface the
following statement: "THIS POLICY DOES NOT
INCLUDE BUILDING CODE UPGRADE
COVERAGE."
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CIC Section #10103
• In the event that the policy does include
code upgrade coverage, it shall either: (1)
State this on the declaration page, and
denote any applicable limits. (2) State this
on a separate disclosure form attached to
the declarations page, if the separate
disclosure form meets the following
standards:
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Methodology of Determining
Values
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Proprietary Valuation Tools
• Valuation tools provide a mere indicator of
minimum values. Agent/Brokers should
pay particular attention to individual home
components and values
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Insurance Company Evaluations On Line
Marshall Swift
www.marshallswift.com
Data Quick
www.dataquick.com
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Why Values Are So Important
• Accurate values avoid
– Over insuring
– Under insuring
– Ultimately used to establish a fair premium
for the property at risk
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Responsibility
• Whose responsibility is it to establish
property values for the personal lines
client.
– The responsibility is the property owner’s not
the insurance agent or insurance company
– IF the insurance client asks to be “fully”
insured then a heightened responsibility
exists.
– The insurance agent has guidelines such as
estimators but these are only minimum limits
that should be carried
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How Are Values Established??
• Purchase Price of the home
– Insureds often want to insure for what
they purchased the property for
• Bank’s requirements
– Banks often want the insurance to equal
the amount of the loan
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Methodology of Determining
Value
• Prior Policies
– New buyers may assume the coverage
of the prior homeowner
• Property Owner
– Property owners typically only know
what they paid for the property or the
comps
– The property owner typically does not
understand how the policy will pay in the
event of a loss.
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Methodology of Determining
Value
• Real Estate Appraisals
– Real estate appraisals are sometimes
done by insurance agents utilizing
independent companies. These
appraisals, while they cost money, are
a very good indicator of value
• Insurance Company’s Valuation Software
– Almost all insurance carriers provide
estimators through their portal
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Methodology of Determining
Value
• Contractor’s and Expert’s estimates or
opinions
– The same comment applies here as
with independent appraisals
• Cost per square footage Estimates
– This is a beginning mark for
determining value
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Methodology of Determining
Value
• Insured’s opinion
– If the insured is qualified to provide this
opinion, this is helpful. Often time the
insured is referring to “market value”
rather than replacement cost
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Documentation of Person
Making Estimate
• There are specific requirements in the DOI
Regulations relating to the requirements
of an individual who is making an
estimate on Residential Properties.
• All of this documentation must be in a
retrievable format
• The website should be consulted
• The regulations provide as follows
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Documentation of Person
Making Estimate
• a) In the event an estimate of replacement cost
is provided or communicated by a licensee to an
applicant or insured in connection with an
application for or renewal of a homeowners'
insurance policy that provides coverage on a
replacement cost basis, the licensee shall
document and maintain in the applicant's or
insured's file the following information:
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Documentation of Person
Making Estimate
(3) The source from which or method by which
the estimate of replacement cost was prepared,
to include any replacement cost calculator,
contractor's estimate, architectural report, real
estate appraisal, or other source or method;
and
(4) A copy of any reports, inspection reports,
contractor's estimates, or other documents
used to prepare the estimate of replacement
value.
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Documentation of Person
Making Estimate
(b) In the event the estimate of
replacement cost is provided by a
licensee to an applicant or insured in
connection with an application for or
renewal of a homeowners' insurance
policy that provides coverage on a
replacement cost basis, the licensee shall
maintain in the insured's file the records
specified in subdivision
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Documentation of Person
Making Estimate
(a) of this Section 2695.182 for the entire
term of the insurance policy or the duration
of coverage, whichever terminates later in
time, and for five years thereafter. In the
event the estimate of replacement cost is
provided by a licensee to an applicant to
whom an insurance policy is never issued,
subdivision (a) of this Section 2695.182 shall
not apply.
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Documentation of Person
Making Estimate
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Section 2695.182, this section shall
impose no duty upon a broker-agent to
obtain from the insurer and maintain any
information or document that in the
absence of this section would not come
into the possession of the broker-agent in
the ordinary course of business.
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Section 2695.182 Standards to be used
when a licensee estimates Replacement
Cost
• This section of the regulations is also found at:
http://www20.insurance.ca.gov/epubacc/REG/1
51771.htm
• The regulations deal with the requirements and
standards of communication of what must be
included in the estimation submitted to the
insured
• Follows is the regulation language
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Section 2695.182 Standards to be used when a
licensee estimates Replacement Cost
• No licensee shall communicate an estimate of
replacement cost to an applicant or insured in
connection with an application for or renewal of a
homeowners' insurance policy that provides coverage on
a replacement cost basis, unless the requirements and
standards set forth in subdivisions (a) through (e) below
are met:
(a) The estimate of replacement cost shall include the
expenses that would reasonably be incurred to rebuild
the insured structure(s) in its entirety, including at least
the following:
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Section 2695.182 Standards to be used when a
licensee estimates Replacement Cost
• (1) Cost of labor, building materials and
supplies;
(2) Overhead and profit;
(3) Cost of demolition and debris removal;
(4) Cost of permits and architect's plans; and
(5) Consideration of components and features
of the insured structure, including at least the
following:
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Section 2695.182 Standards to be used when a
licensee estimates Replacement Cost
(b) The estimate of replacement cost shall be based on
an estimate of the cost to rebuild or replace the
structure taking into account the cost to reconstruct the
single property being evaluated, as compared to the cost
to build multiple, or tract, dwellings.
(c) The estimate of replacement cost shall not be based
upon the resale value of the land, or upon the amount or
outstanding balance of any loan.
(d) The estimate of replacement cost shall not include a
deduction for physical depreciation.
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Section 2695.182 Standards to be used when a
licensee estimates Replacement Cost
• (e) The licensee shall no less frequently than
annually take reasonable steps to verify that the
sources and methods used to generate the
estimate of replacement cost are kept current to
reflect changes in the costs of reconstruction
and rebuilding, including changes in labor,
building materials, and supplies, based upon the
geographic location of the insured structure. The
estimate of replacement cost shall be created
using such reasonably current sources and
methods.
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Fire Mitigation and How it
Affects Insurance Costs
The California Wildland Urban
Interface Fire Problem
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Fire Mitigation
• The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) is defined as a
location where structures meet or intermingle with
undeveloped wildland. Since 2000 in California alone an
average of over one thousand structures per year have
been lost to WUI fires.
• Housing growth in the West Coast (CA, OR, WA)region
was 12 percent overall, with over 1 million new WUI
housing units, an 18-percent increase in the number of
WUI homes. WUI area also expanded from 5.8 to 6.5
percent of the 3-State area. Of the 16.1 million housing
units in this region, over a quarter (4.5 million) are located
in the interface WUI.
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Fire Mitigation
• The October 2007 California Witch Fire
progressed at a peak spread of five miles
per hour and had a maximum perimeter of
approximately 100 miles. The Witch fire
was responsible for taking two lives and
forty fire fighter burn injuries. The fire
destroyed nearly 200,000 acres and over
1,600 structures
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Some factors that affect the
risk/hazard
– WUI areas typically lie within vegetation zones
that require regular fire intervals for
regeneration of natural vegetation
– Steep canyons and topography make fire
fighting difficult and fire spread increase
– Years of fire suppression create high fuel loads
– Road ingress issues can cause slow fire fighter
response times (e.g., narrow, dirt, steep roads)
– Proximity to overhead power lines
– inadequate defensible space
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Mitigation
• Creation of defensible space through
vegetation management usually means
reducing the amount of fuel around the
building or structure, providing separation
between fuels, and or reshaping retained
fuels by trimming. Defensible space can be
created removing dead vegetation, separating
fuels, and pruning lower limbs.
• It does not mean cutting down all trees and
shrubs, or creating a bare ring of earth across
the property.
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Mitigation
http://www.fire.ca.gov/cdfbofdb/PDFS/4291finalguidelines2_23_06.pdf
http://www.fire.ca.gov/cdfbofdb/PDFS/4291finalguidelines2_23_06.pdf
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Mitigation
http://www.fire.ca.gov/cdfbofdb/PDFS/4291finalguidelines2_23_06.pdf
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Mitigation
http://www.fire.ca.gov/cdfbofdb/PDFS/4291finalguidelines2_23_06.pdf
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Laws & Policy
• As of 2008 California Building Code includes provisions for ignition
resistant construction standards for new construction in the
wildland urban interface. The updated fire hazard severity zones will
be used by building officials to determine appropriate construction
materials for new buildings in the wildland urban interface.
1. Exterior Wall Siding and Sheathing (SFM Standard 12-7A-1)
2. Exterior Windows (SFM Standard 12-7A-2)
3. Under Eave (SFM Standard 12-7A-3)
4. Decking (SFM Standard 12-7A-4)
5. Ignition Resistant Material (ASTM E84 for 30 Min. with
Accelerated Weathering Test)
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Laws & Policy
• Public Resources Code (PRC) 4291 contains defensible
space clearance requirement maintained around
buildings and structures to a distance of 100 feet.
• These guidelines apply to any person who owns, leases,
controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure
in, upon, or adjoining any mountainous area, forestcovered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands,
or any land that is covered with flammable material, and
located within WUI.
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Toolbox Section for the
Wildland Fire
This is a project whose effort is to support the shift in
national fire policy toward hazardous fuel reduction and
the WFU’s increasing roles as a fuel management
technique. The tools are offered to fire management
professionals to help them in the project.
The toolbox is organized into three sections
A) Prioritizing Planning. In this stage the fire managers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Update a 5 year urn plan
Prioritize burns based upon the landscape treatment analysis
Review agreements with operators
Outline education and communication plans
Consider method of managing smoke.
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Thank you for attending
Upcoming Dates for the Valuation Class:
4/5 and 4/6
5/24 & 5/25
University Cyber Liability Class is on 4/7/11
Community Class on 3/29/11 on
Cal/OSHA & AB2774
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