Living in fire prone community can mean not having fire coverage included in home insurance

UNFORTUNATELY USED TO HAVINGWILDFIRES NEARBY EVE FRYEWYEARS.AND IN A RURAL AREA PRONE TOTHOSE NATURAL DISASTERS,HOMES ARE AT RISK --CAUSING SOMEINSURANCE COMPANIES TONOT TO PROVIDE FIRE COVERAGE.23ABC'S KRISTIN VARTAN LOOKEDFURTHER INTO THOSE CONCERNSAND HAS MORE...AS FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN TRYINGTO PROTECT HESOMIN THE DIRECT LINE OF THE FRENCHFIRE, RURALCOMMUNITIES LIKE WOFFORD HEIGHTSEVACUAD TESUNDAY NIGHT--AWAITING THE NEWSOF ITF THEIR HESOMWILL BE IN DIRECT DANGER.

AWOFFORD HEIGS HTREDESINT SAYING THAT IF YOUDON'T HAVE FIRE COVERAGE IN YOURHOME INSURANCE LIVING IN AN AREAPRONE TO WILDFIRES, CAN BE ANEVEN BIGGER PROBLEM."THE LAST FIRE THEY HAD,INSURANCE COMPANIES MANYOF THEM AROUND HERE CLOSED ALLOF THE INSURANCE O."FFTHAT'S WHAT WOFFORD HEIGHTSRESIDENT, RYGALOWREY SAYS HAPPENED DURING THELAST MAJOR FIRE INHE TKERN RIVER VALLEY.

HE EXPRESSESHIS CONCERN TO23ABC DURING AN ORDEREDEVACUATION SUNDAY NIGHT, ASA RESULT OF THE FRENCH FIREBURNING THROH UGTHOUSANDS OF ACRES NEAR LAKEISABELLA."YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE AREOLDER, THEY'RE RETEDIR, THEY'REHOUSES ARE PAID FOR, ALOT HAVEMOBILE HOMES THAT ARE OLDERSO THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OFPEOPLE IN THIS AREA WITHOUTHOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE..."PARTNER AT LAW FIRM, CHAIN COHNSSTILES SAYS THISPRACTICE AMONG PRIVATE INSURANCECARRIERS OF NOTWRITING A FIRE POLICY INTO HOMEINSURANCE IS NOT UNCOMMOINNAREAS AROUND CALIFORNIA PRONE TOWILDFIS.RE"THERE'S A SIMILAR PROGRAM INFLORIDA AND STATES IN ESOUTH BECAUSE PRIVATE INSURERSDO NOT WANT TO WRITE COVERAGEFOR HURRICANES.

IF A HURRICANECOMES OUT AND WIPES OUT BIGSECTIONS OF THE STATE, IT CANBANKRUPT AN INSURANCECOMPANY."LEAVING SIREDENTS WHO CAN'T T GEFIRE COVERAGE FROMCARRIERS TWO OPTIONS--THE FIRSTBEING NOT HAVING HOMEINSURANCE."THE CONSEQUENCES, YOU PAY OUTOF YOUR POCKET TOREBUILD THAT HOUSE.

OR IF YOUDON'T HAVE MONEY, U YODON'T HAVE A HOUSE."OR TWO, INSURANCE SPONSOREBYDTHE STATE OFCALIFORNIA KNOWS AS THECALIFORNIA A PIRLAN WHH ICACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITECOVERS FIRES & LIGHTNINGINTERNAL EXPLOSIONS, AND SMOKE,BUT ALSO REQRESSUPPLEMENTAL COSTS FOR OTHEREMERGENCIESLIKE EARTHQUAK AESND FLOODS."MY SON PAYS ALMOST $1800 A YEARFOR THAT INSURANCE, HECAN BARELY AFFORD IT AND ALOT OFPEOPLE CAN'T BECAUSETHEY'RE ON FIXED INCOMES.

THEYCAN'T AFFORD FOUR TIMETHS EAMOUNT THAT THEY WERE PAYING."CLARK SAYS THE STATE'S PREMIUMMAY NOT BE MUCH HIGHER TN HAPRIVATE HOME INSURANCE."AND THE DEDUCTIBLES, ALTHOUGHHIGHER THAN YOUWOULD TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATEWITH A HOMEOWNS ERPL, ANTHEY'RE NOT ABNORMALLYHIGH.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT100,000 DOLLAR DEDUCTIBLE.T ICOULD BE 5 IT COULD BE $10,000.BUT I UNDERSTAND FOR PEOPLE WITHA FIXED INCO, MEEVERY DOLLAR COUNT" S.AND WE'LL HAVE A LINK WITH MOREINFORMATION ON THE CALIFORA NIFAIR PLAN ON OUR WEBSITE TURN TO23.COM IN BAKERSFIELD KRISTINVART 2AN3ABC NEWS CONNECTINGYOU.HERE'S 23ABC'S METEOROLOGISTBRDOANN MICHAELS