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My House Burnt Down in a Fire... Now What? - CARe Update: Issue 38... AND MORE

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CARe Update

“Survivors Helping Survivors” • 888-216-8264 • carehelp.org

CARe Providing Assistance to Black Fire Survivors in Colorado Springs
My House Burnt Down in a Fire... Now What?
Be Prepared for Post-Sandy Health and Safety Risks
CA Gov. declares emergency for LA County Powerhouse wildfire
Introducing the "One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire" Campaign
My Turn: Don’t be the spark
Goodwill expands services for Black Forest Fire victims
Black Forest fire recovery groups getting down to business
Insurance demands for fire mitigation may mean big changes in communities
Misleading Insurance Statistics Regarding Hurricane Sandy
Wildland Fire Statistics
Experts: Expect bigger, fiercer wildfires in West
Earthquake-proof table invented to save the lives of millions of school children worldwide
Last year's fire victims offer a shoulder at disaster recovery center
Incident Meteorologists Are on Front Lines of Wildfires
Colorado woman arrested after home burns in wildfire
Disaster loan center to open for Powerhouse Fire victims

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CARe Providing Assistance to Black Fire Survivors in Colorado Springs

We are excited to announce another partnership between Community Assisting Recovery, Inc and HBA Cares in providing a series of workshops in the Colorado Springs area for survivors of the most recent Black Forest Fire incident. HBA Cares is providing a grant to cover expenses for these meetings and we hope survivors in Colorado Springs can once again benefit from the information we have to offer. The free seminars will take place starting, Friday July 26 at 6:00 PM with an introductory meeting that...Read More

My House Burnt Down in a Fire... Now What?

We all wish there was a simple answer to this question. After a loss there are a dozen things that all need to be done at once in addition to the full life you had before the fire. In reality, the best first thing to do is to come to the realization that you are not an insurance expert and be open to learning. Once you are ready to learn, find a great resource. It is our hope that you can use our website as that resource. Not only do we have a great, free eBook "A Survivor's Guide to Insurance"...Read More

Be Prepared for Post-Sandy Health and Safety Risks

The immediate danger of Superstorm Sandy is long past, but the coming warmer weather poses a challenge for hurricane-damaged buildings. Jack Nyman and Howard Wolf share advice on combating the resulting health and fire risks.

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CA Gov. declares emergency for LA County Powerhouse wildfire

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County a month after a wildfire that burned 24 residences and more than 47 square miles of brush.

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Introducing the "One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire" Campaign

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 8, 2013— The U.S. Forest Service and other land management agencies have a new fire safety campaign in California. The One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire campaign is designed to provide constant reminders during this fire season to reduce the numbers of human-caused vehicle and equipment wildfires throughout the state.

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My Turn: Don’t be the spark

It is that time of year when the North Tahoe Fire Protection District welcomes our seasonal residents and the influx of an excited visiting public. Over Memorial Day weekend, the traditional family residential cleanups took place for defensible space, with inspections and curbside chipping to follow.

With the long summer days and nights at the lake shore and on our hiking trails, campgrounds along the Truckee River, local beaches, backyard decks along mountain retreats and the backcountry playing host to all manner of nature enthusiasts with adventure on the mind, comes a swarm of busy dispatch calls to our local North Tahoe Fire stations in Kings Beach, Tahoe City, Homewood, Alpine and with the addition of a Calfire engine at the Carnelian Bay station on the North Shore.

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Goodwill expands services for Black Forest Fire victims

COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. - Goodwill has expanded its emergency services for victims of the Black Forest Fire.

This comes after it was discovered that more than 85 homes that were destroyed in the fire were under-insured or not covered by fire insurance at all.

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Black Forest fire recovery groups getting down to business

El Paso County's Long Range Recovery Committee got its marching orders and heard the first of what will be many concerns from survivors of the Black Forest fire at its initial meeting Wednesday.

The committee, headed by El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn, will help Black Forest residents as they recover from a wildfire that destroyed more than 500 structures and burned more than 15,000 acres.

All of the meetings, including those scheduled by several subcommittees that were formed, will be open to the public, Glenn said

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Insurance demands for fire mitigation may mean big changes in communities

Colorado Springs: On June 10, State Farm Insurance Co. mailed 12,000 letters to homeowners in six Western states alerting them that inspectors would be visiting their properties and taking photos to assess their risk from wildfire.

These letters could dramatically change the look of Colorado Springs and foothills neighborhoods across the West.

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Misleading Insurance Statistics Regarding Hurricane Sandy

For a few months now, the insurance industry has been touting the alleged statistic that 95-96% of New Jersey insurance claims from Hurricane Sandy have been closed. I have had many conversations with clients, public adjusters and other attorneys in the industry and, frankly, nobody believes this statistic. Turns out, this is an accurate, albeit completely misleading, statistic. . . .

I recently had an opportunity to attend a litigation conference where Kenneth E. Kobylowski, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, gave the keynote address. The Commissioner stated that the insurance industry had reported the 95% closure rate for Sandy claims. However, in response to a question from the audience, he stated that those closure rates included claims where the insurance carrier denied the claim and no lawsuit had yet been filed. An improper denial or underpayment would count as closed. Thus, while the 95% statistic may be accurate, it clearly demonstrates how word play can be used to hide the truth.

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Wildland Fire Statistics

The National Interagency Fire Center's (NIFC) Predictive Services unit is forecasting above normal potential for significant fire activity in the West Coast states, the Southwest, and portions of Idaho and Montana in 2013. Over 22,000 wildfires destroyed 1.5 million acres from January 1, 2013 to July 1, 2013, according to the NIFC. On June 30, 19 firefighters were killed while working to contain the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. This is the deadliest event for firefighters since 9/11 and the third highest firefighter death toll attributed to wildfires. The 1910 Devil’s Broom wildfire in Silverton, Idaho killed 86 firefighters and the 1933 Griffith Park wildfire in Los Angeles, California, killed 29.

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Experts: Expect bigger, fiercer wildfires in West

There's a dangerous but basic equation behind the killer Yarnell Hill wildfire and other blazes raging across the West this summer: More heat, more drought, more fuel and more people in the way are adding up to increasingly ferocious fires.

Scientists say a hotter planet will only increase the risk.

More than two dozen wildland fires are burning from Alaska to New Mexico, fueled by triple-digit temperatures and arid conditions. In the Arizona mountain town of Yarnell, a blaze apparently sparked by lightning killed 19 members of an elite firefighting squad who had deployed their emergency shelters Sunday when erratic monsoon winds sent flames racing in their direction.

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Earthquake-proof table invented to save the lives of millions of school children worldwide

Experts once advised people to run for a doorway when the earth begins to shake, now that’s out the window and scientists suggest jumping under the nearest table.

But what if the table gives way?

Two Israel scientist have a solution for that: earthquake-proof tables.

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Last year's fire victims offer a shoulder at disaster recovery center

When Suzanne and Breck Swanson turned on the television on Wednesday, they watched their retirement home on Vessey Road explode in flames.

With it went Suzanne's sense of control, and all ideas of what to do next. But the next day at the El Paso County Disaster Assistance Center, she regained some confidence from an unexpected source - a group of people who lost their homes during the Waldo Canyon fire.

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Incident Meteorologists Are on Front Lines of Wildfires

On Monday night, Jim Wallmann drove north from broiling Phoenix toward a bustling command post for the Yarnell Hill fire near Prescott, Ariz. The blaze had killed 19 of the 20-member crew of elite "Hotshots" a day earlier in the worst loss of firefighters in a single wildfire in 80 years. With erratic weather conditions viewed as the primary suspect behind the tragedy, Wallman had been called to the blaze specifically to prevent a repeat incident by keeping firefighters informed of changing weather conditions.

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Colorado woman arrested after home burns in wildfire

A woman who lost her home in Colorado’s most destructive wildfire was arrested on a warrant for a traffic violation as she sifted through the charred remains of her uninsured trailer.

Marsha McCormack, 59, was arrested June 21 after a license plate reader tipped authorities that she was wanted on a bench warrant for failing to appear in court.

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Disaster loan center to open for Powerhouse Fire victims

The U.S. Small Business Administration is scheduled to open a disaster loan outreach center for victims of the recent Powerhouse Fire that burned more than 30,000 acres across the Angeles National Forest and high desert, officials said Tuesday evening.

The center is set to open in Lake Hughes to assist people with obtaining low-interest federal disaster loans, Los Angeles County's chief executive said in a statement.

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Quote of the week:

Many a happiness in life, as many a disaster, can be due to chance, but the peace within us can never be governed by chance.

Maurice Maeterlinck

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Community Assisting Recovery, Inc.
7918 El Cajon Blvd, Ste N346, La Mesa CA 91941
www.carehelp.org
888-216-8264