Home insurance proves invaluable to Thomas Fire victims

Ventura County Star (CA)

Dec. 07--In a northeast Ventura neighborhood, Bob Ditmore grimly waved goodbye to friends who had come to survey a multitude of damaged and destroyed homes.

"See you in three or four months, I guess," he said.

Read more: Ventura Fire: Here are the latest updates

Ditmore, 67, was one of the lucky ones. Although his home on Adirondack Avenue was not unscathed by the Thomas Fire that has ravaged at least 150 structures in Ventura County since Monday evening, Ditmore's overnight efforts saved his house from being completely destroyed. He was confident that once the damage was assessed, his insurance plan would help offset the costs of repairing and rebuilding what was lost.

"There were houses behind me burning, and I was out there with the hose all night until the water ran out," Ditmore said. "I have AAA and they called me yesterday right after the fire, which is a big help. It provides a piece of mind and as soon as we figure out the damage we'll get in touch with them."

Other Ventura residents were not so lucky. Many homes in the neighboring area were consumed by the flames and others were still on fire. Destroyed, partially melted cars dotted the streets, and the smoke in large parts of the city made the air practically unbreathable.

The devastation has caused considerable property damage, although several people called their homeowners insurance a financial lifesaver. Local insurance agents stressed that homeowners insurance is important because it can help residents affected by disasters like the Thomas Fire afford to rebuild their homes and purchase new essential items.

A home is a major asset, so it's logical to protect such a large investment by purchasing homeowners insurance, said Chase Fiscus, president and CEO of the Simi Valley-based Fiscus Commercial Insurance Services.

"If you want to protect your assets and equity, homeowners insurance is very important," Fiscus said. "For most people, a home is the largest thing they'll own in their life and is often used for their retirement. The first thing you should do in a situation like the Thomas Fire is call and notify your insurance company immediately."

Beyond the importance of quickly notifying your insurance agent -- including about damage to both homes and automobiles -- Fiscus encouraged residents to prepare for future disasters by documenting their other possessions. Photographs and videos of important and expensive possessions such as computers, paintings, jewelry, expensive clothing and firearms can ease the process of getting compensated for affected items, he added.

The intricacies of figuring out what kind of insurance is necessary and what each kind of insurance covers can cause confusion, however.

While most forms of homeowners insurance cover hotel stays, it's always wise to meet with your agent to figure out exactly what your insurance covers, said David Bender, a partner at the Orange County-based Haynes and Boone, LLP, law firm who has represented many clients in Ventura County.

Bender said immediately contacting your insurance agent after a disaster should be a priority and added that it is a good idea to keep a copy of your insurance policy in a secure area such as a safe deposit box or with a lawyer, as it could be destroyed in a fire. Although homeowners insurance can help reimburse residents whose homes are destroyed by disasters such as fires, Bender cautioned that not all policies provide full coverage.

For example, Bender noted that due to zoning laws, which are particularly complex in Ventura County, rebuilding homes could require building new foundations or other various complications. As a general rule of thumb, Bender advised residents to be as knowledgeable about their insurance policies as possible to avoid unexpected financial complications in case of disaster.

"A lot of policies have separate coverages for different kinds of losses, so when you buy insurance, keep that in mind," Bender said. "Before you sign anything with your insurance company, you want to get some advice on it. Insurance companies want to make money and you don't want to undersell your possession and rights."

Fiscus said expensive possessions might not be fully covered by basic homeowners insurance, and individuals with such items should make sure they get policies that fully cover their valuables.

"You could have a shotgun that costs $20,000, but a basic policy might only give you $2,500," Fiscus said. "For those items, they need to get a personal-articles policy or floater where they specifically name out items."

For Ventura resident Nan Drake, having sufficient insurance has made all the difference. Drake's home was decimated by the Thomas Fire, and she has been forced to temporarily move in with a close friend. Drake, public relations director and government affairs for E.J. Harrison & Sons, lives in a heavily damaged neighborhood where surveying the damage of individual homes was difficult, as some street numbers had burned away and many houses were little more than charred rubble.

Although Drake escaped the fire in time, she was unable to bring little more than the clothes on her back and said decades worth of memories had been destroyed.

"I lived in that house since 1974 and brought most everything that I'd ever had in my two previous homes," said Drake, 78. "It's a silly thing to think about, but my Christmas tree was 12 feet tall and the talk of the town, all glass ornaments I've collected since the early '60s, and now it's all gone. The next thing I'm going to do is go to Chico's and go clothes shopping because I'm still working and I have no clothes to wear."

Although her old personal possessions are irreplaceable, Drake was optimistic about the future, particularly because her insurance policy will allow her to rebuild.

"My insurance agent told me to find temporary housing and go buy clothes and everything would be taken care of," Drake said. "It's devastating, but it's not the end of the world. I can replace most everything I bought and I plan on rebuilding the home. The house may be dead, but the spirit is alive."

___

Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at www.vcstar.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.