Prescott homeowners tackle fire risk with proactive measures
Homeowners in one northern Arizona pine community are scrambling to remove fire fuel from their properties and to keep their home insurance amid rising costs.
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — The LA fires still fresh on their minds, homeowners in one northern Arizona pine community are scrambling to remove fire fuel from their properties and to keep their home insurance amid rising costs.
Fire Risk Manager Conrad Jackson says about 12% of homeowners in the Prescott area have decided to go without insurance altogether because they’ve paid off their home and are no longer required to be insured.
“Some of them are choosing to roll the dice,” Jackson said. “The way things have gone, if your insurance has gone up 20% in the last year, you are lucky. I know many whose insurance is up 100%.”
A combination of long-term drought and growth has made Prescott more vulnerable. Between 1990-2020, the number of homes in Yavapai County in urban wildland interface zones increased by 126%. The total is at 114,000 homes and growing.
Homeowners are not powerless. They can negotiate with insurance companies and obtain fire risk assessments from the city.
Jackson conducts about 5 assessments each day, making recommendations.
Homeowners then carry out landscaping and home improvements based on the recommendations. They provide photos and documents of the changes to their insurance company. The city also provides a wood-chipping service to collect debris from properties.
“I’m going to tell you all the things the insurance is going to be looking at,” Jackson said. “But as a 30-year wildland firefighter, I also have insight on how a fire is going to behave around your home. Regardless of the insurance aspect, let’s make your home safer.”
There is no guarantee the insurance company will offer lower coverage, or even any coverage at all. Different insurance companies use different metrics, Jackson said.
Watch 12News for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12+ app!
The free 12+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
12+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.”
Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12+ app to add to your account, or have the 12+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.