Archive for the ‘fire insurance’ Category

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Spring Fire Season Begins in Virginia

February 16th, 2011 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in fire insurance

On Tuesday the State of Virginia enacted a ban on the outdoor burning of brush, officially marking the beginning of the spring fire season, which runs through April.

According to state law, burning anything withing 300 feet of woodlands, fields, or any other possible fuel source is also prohibited.

Violators face a fine of up to $500. Anyone allowing a fire to escape is liable for the cost of fighting to fire, as well as any damage to others’ property.

According to the Virginia Department of Forestry, last year’s fire season saw 897 separate fires which burned roughly 8,500 acres.

Whether or not you live in Virginia, or plan to burn brush, it’s a good idea to mark the beginning of fire season by evaluating your fire insurance coverage.

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New Jersey Charging for Fire/First-Aid Service?

December 9th, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in fire insurance, health insurance, insurance news

While many private ambulance services ask local residents to pay an annual membership fee in order to defray costs of actually using an ambulance, some residents of New Jersey might soon have to pay if they need the fire department as well.

According to Insurance Journal, the Salem, NJ city council has recently adopted an ordinance that allows fire departments to charge money in order to recoup costs.

According to Fire Chief Fred Ayars, this ordinance isn’t designed to take money out of residents’ pockets, but to get it from insurance companies. Apparently, if local fire departments adopt a schedule of fees, most fire and insurance policies will reimburse them for expenses.

The Chief also told the press that if a resident doesn’t have insurance, there will be no fee incurred.

Elsewhere in New Jersey, the city of Cape May is considering an $8/mile assessment for ambulance service to help balance the 2011 budget. There’s already a $500 charge for ambulance service in Cape May; this assessment would increase that fee by roughly $100, however, the local press reports that Cape May’s mayor, Ed Mahaney, has expressed concern that some people would choose not to call for an ambulance because of the additional cost.

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Chimney Safety Tips from CSIA

December 8th, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in advice and how-tos, fire insurance, homeowners insurance

It’s December, which means that Jack Frost is probably nipping at your nose, as the song says. Even if you’re not actually roasting chestnuts over an open fire, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) wants to make sure that your fireplace is a heat source and not a safety hazard this winter. To that end they’ve published their top ten safety tips for wood burning fireplaces and stoves. Enjoy:

1. Get an annual chimney check. Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary, by a qualified professional chimney service technician. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys.

2. Keep it clear. Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.

3. Install a chimney cap to keep debris and animals out of the chimney.

4. Choose the right fuel. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose wellseasoned wood that has been split for a minimum of six months – one year and stored in a covered and elevated location. Never burn Christmas trees or treated wood in your fireplace or wood stove.

5. Build it right. Place firewood or firelogs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate. To start the fire, use kindling or a commercial firelighter. Never use flammable liquids.

6. Keep the hearth area clear. Combustible material too close to the fireplace, or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire. Keep furniture at least 36” away from the hearth.

7. Use a fireplace screen. Use metal mesh or a screen in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks that could ignite or burn holes in the carpet or flooring.

8. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Place detectors throughout the house and check batteries in the spring and fall. When you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, remember to check your batteries.

9. Never leave a fire unattended. Before turning in for the evening, be sure that the fire is fully extinguished. Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces.

10. The CSIA recommends annual inspections performed by CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps. These chimney sweeps have earned the industry’s most respected credential by passing an intensive examination based on fire codes, clearances and standards for the construction and maintenance of chimney and venting systems. The National Fire Protection Association also recommends that all chimneys are inspected on an annual basis.

One tip they didn’t recommend? Check the status of your fire insurance policy…just in case.

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Deep Fried Insurance?

November 24th, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in fire insurance, homeowners insurance

Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. Whether or not you plan to deep fry your turkey, you should know that more cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year, and that fire insurance claims from grease and cooking accidents more than double, compared to any other day in November, at least according to data from State Farm Insurance.

If you do see flames leaping up around your kitchen, remember that the best way to stop a grease fire is to smother it with a pan lid or some flour – never water – and that sometimes the best thing you can do is call 911 and get out of the house.

And for those of you who are deep frying your turkey, here’s some advice from State Farm and the Illinois Fire Service Institute:

* Don’t overfill the fryer pot. Follow directions in the owner’s manual to determine how much oil to use. If you overfill, the oil will overflow when you lower the turkey, spill on the burner and catch fire.
* Thoroughly thaw the turkey before cooking. Placing a frozen or partially frozen turkey in a fryer can cause oil to splatter, seriously burning anyone standing nearby, and catching fire when coming into contact with the burner.
* When cooking outdoors, stay away from any structures or flammable materials. More than a third of fryer-related fires start in a garage or on a patio.
* Don’t use water or ice to cool the oil or try to put out a grease fire. Contact with water or ice causes cause oil to splatter and spread. Keep a fire extinguisher handy for putting out grease fires.

Most importantly, if you’re deep frying anything, never, ever leave the fryer unattended – you never know what the grease may do.

Most turkey fryer fires are preventable, although Evrley admits he hasn’t been tempted to fry a turkey since the blaze at his mother-in-law’s home. He also agreed to be the “poster child” for State Farm on how to avoid turkey-fryer fires.

“If it saves somebody from doing something like I did, I’m glad to talk about it,” he says.

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Insurance Brief: Lloyd’s to Open Russian Office

November 4th, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in business insurance, fire insurance, insurance facts, insurance news

Lloyd’s, the high-end insurance company known for covering things like the hands of concert pianists, announced recently that it has plans to open an office in Russia sometime in 2011.

According to the bulletin it released, the corporate office at has determined that, “…a dedicated country manager will enable Lloyd’s to better understand and explore opportunities in the Russian market; however the office will not be a base for underwriting.”

Expanding upon this, Jose Ribeiro, Director of International Markets for Lloyd’s added, “Now is the right time to develop a small presence in Moscow. The new Russia country manager will be well placed to make informed decisions on behalf of the Lloyd’s market as well as promoting and explaining it to local insurers and brokers.”

Subject to regulatory approvals, the Lloyd’s Russia office is expected to open around the middle of next year.

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Friday Filmstrips: Light Your Pilot

October 15th, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in advice and how-tos, fire insurance, friday filmstrips

With cooler weather comes the desire for the soothing crackle of a warm fire. If you have a gas insert in your fireplace, you may have turned the gas off for the summer. This video from WoodHeat.com and YouTube explains how to re-light the pilot for your gas fireplace.

Remember to check your fire insurance policy first, then enjoy:

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11 Texas Cities Made Safer from Fires

September 30th, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in fire insurance

Elderly and low income residents of eleven Texas cities (Amarillo, Edinburg, El Paso, Farmers Branch, Galveston, Glenn Heights, Longview, Mansfield, McKinney, New Braunfels, and Wichita Falls) will be receiving smoke alarms from their local firefighters, as part of this year’s “We’re Out to Alarm Texas” smoke alarm campaign. Now in it’s sixth year, the program has saved three lives and prevented several homes across the state from being destroyed by fire.

As part of a partnership between the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT), the State Fire Marshall’s office, First Alert, and the Travelers Insurance Companies to donate the alarms to firefighters who will install them and monitor fire runs to those homes. In total, there were twelve hundred smoke alarms were donated this year, just in time for Fire Prevention Week, which runs from October 3rd – October 9th.

The elven cities were chosen by the State Fire Marshal’s Office because of the willingness of the fire departments there to install the smoke alarms, and because these cities all have high fire fatality counts. The smoke alarms are available to homeowners in each city on a first come, first served basis. Firefighters then install the alarms, and alert the homeowners to possible fire hazards.

Since the We’re Out to Alarm Texas program began in 2005, more than 6,000 smoke alarms were installed in 17 Texas cities. In the first year, elderly residents of Waco and New Braunfels were rescued by firefighters after alerts came in from donated alarms.

According to Mark Hanna, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Texas said, “It didn’t take us long to see that the program saves lives and property. The program has brought fire departments closer to their community and helped educate its residents to the benefits of a functioning smoke alarm.”

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