Contact: Yeraldin Deavila, Public
Information Officer
Phone: (775) 687-0772
E-mail: ydeavila@doi.nv.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE– July 17, 2020
Division of Insurance offers tips on
how consumers can protect their assets from wildfires
Carson City, NV –
In the past few weeks, Nevada experienced significant wildfires ranging from
the Poeville Fire in Washoe County to the Mahogany Fire in Mt. Charleston. With
fires in mind, the Division reminds Nevadans to take action to protect their
assets from disasters such as wildfires.
“Homeowners and renters are encouraged to take two important
steps every year: review their homeowners’ and renters insurance policy to make
sure they are adequately covered, and mitigate the risk of wildfires to reduce
the possibility of fire-related property damages,” said Insurance Commissioner
Barbara Richardson.
The first step consumers can take to prepare for wildfires
is to follow local ordinances that help control the growth of shrubs,
vegetation, pine needles and other fire fuels. This is especially important in
high vegetation communities such as Lake Tahoe and the Mt. Charleston areas.
Consumers should consider the defensible space around their
property to reduce the threat of wildfire and also help firefighters defend
property safely and more effectively in the event of a wildfire. The Living
with Fire program at https://www.livingwithfire.com/get-prepared/can help with this and other tasks to prepare.
In addition, consumers should make sure they are adequately
covered by first making a home inventory. All of their belonging including home
improvement items, electronics, and other specialty items like jewelry should
be documented.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
has a free myHOME Scr.APP.book downloadable app that allows you to quickly
photograph and capture descriptions of your possessions room by room, then
store electronically for safekeeping. The app is available for iPhone® and
Android devices.
Before calling their insurance agent or company, consumers
should read their insurance policy and declarations page to review the coverage
levels. When calling, consumers should ask for an “annual policy review” and disclose
the contents of their home inventory and ask if the current insurance coverage
is adequate.
The Division has other resources available on its website to
help homeowners and renters. Please visit the Division’s website at http://doi.nv.gov/Consumers/Homeowners-Insurance/Home-Inventory/ for tips on how to create a home inventory. You can also
view the Nevada Consumer’s Guide to Home Insurance at http://doi.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/doinvgov/_public-documents/News-Notes/HomeInsuranceGuide2011B.pdf.
About the Nevada Division of Insurance
The State of Nevada Division of Insurance, a Division of the
Nevada Department of Business and Industry, protects the rights of Nevada
consumers and regulates Nevada’s $14 billion insurance industry. The Division
of Insurance has offices in Carson City and Las Vegas. In 2019, the Division
investigated more than 2,750 consumer complaints, answered over 10,700
inquiries, and recovered over $6.3 million on behalf of consumers. For more
information about the Division of Insurance, visit DOI.NV.GOV.
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