Insurance details lined out for Cascade Fire victims

Nov. 22--The initial shock of the Cascade Fire is subsiding and residents of Loma Rica are starting to recover, said Randy Fletcher, Yuba County supervisor for District 5.

The county board chairman said insurance policies held by his constituents will help them rebuild from the Oct. 8 blaze, which destroyed 142 homes, 69 outbuildings and other structures, and property such as recreational vehicles and trailers.

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones issued a formal notice to insurers that all adjusters assigned to wildfire claims are properly trained in state law practices, which allow no less than 24 months for people to collect full replacement costs. The law also states people can use insurance funds to rebuild in the same location, a new location or to purchase a new home.

There had been some out-of-state adjusters reportedly advising potential claimants they had less time.

Fletcher, a licensed insurance broker, said to receive that type of assistance, those affected needed homeowner insurance. He said he estimates less than half had homeowners insurance, instead relying on fire policies, which do not cover living expenses incurred by displacement.

"They've got to meet with their agent or broker," Fletcher said. "Some people bought it online and who knows what they're being told. That's when they find out 'I didn't understand any of this.'"

The two-year time period guaranteed by law allows more time for people to coordinate with contractors, once the Department of Environmental Health deems the land safe to rebuild on, he said. The department's current deadline is Jan. 1, weather permitting, for debris to be cleared from the properties.

In the meantime, residents of the and around the fire area are still wondering what started the inferno.

CalFire spokeswoman Mary Eldridge said it could take six months for the cause of the Cascade Fire to be determined. Eldridge said the complexity of the Wind Complex fires, including the Cascade Fire, requires a more thorough investigation creating a longer timetable.

Loma Rica residents are less focused on how the fire occurred and are more interested on finding daily necessities, said Russ Brown, Yuba County spokesman.

Brown said county Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have ensured people displaced by the fire have shelter, food and water.

"Our effort is working on the community development," he said. "We're definitely still in the recovery part of everything."

The FEMA office, which has been housed in the county government building, will be shutting down at the end of business today because of a decrease in foot traffic, said Frank Mansell, a FEMA spokesman.

"We haven't been getting the numbers," Mansell said. "But we still have staff that are in the field that can visit if need be."

He said between one and two FEMA employees will remain stationed in Yuba County as current resources are sent to areas affected by the wine country fires.

Fletcher said the most important hurdle now is clearing properties of debris. He said once the cleanup work is completed, people can begin to move forward with their lives.

"I've talked to a number of people," Fletcher said. "They're still processing 'What do we do?'"

The county has made it easier for people to rebuild, once they are able, he said. The Board of Supervisors has authorized that those who lost property to the October fire can build "like for like," meaning working infrastructure does not have to be built to current ordinances but can retain the status of grandfathered predecessors.

"A a board, we tried to give people their lives back as reasonably as we can," Fletcher said.

PG&E wood cleanup

So far, residents of Butte and Yuba counties have not called Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for the free removal of trees, a spokesman said.

In a press release earlier this month, the company expected to remove about 25,000 hazard trees from communities affected by wildfires in Northern California, including both the Wind Complex and wine country fires.

The program is opt-in and customers' trees must qualify for the service. The company originally anticipated work to be completed by Feb. 1, but PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno said that is not a hard deadline.

"We would hope to do hauling away in drier conditions so crews have better access," Moreno said.

The primary requirement for wood removal is the tree must have been cut down by PG&E crews, the release states.

For more information about other qualifiers and to participate in the program, call 800-743-5000 to schedule an inspection.

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