![]() The bill also requires that if insurance companies decide to cancel or decline to renew a homeowner insurance policy or increase the premiums in part because of wildfire risk, homeowners need to be given an explanation of: specific reasons the wildfire risk was a factor, mitigation measures the homeowner could have taken and information about the insurers wildfire risk classification system, if any. Lawmakers attempted to address that concern with Senate Bill 82, which passed earlier this year and bans insurance companies from using a state wildfire risk map as the basis for canceling a homeowner insurance policy or increasing premiums. Some were worried about increasing rates or having their insurance plans canceled based on the wildfire risk map. Insurance was a major concern among residents last year. ![]() The map now uses three so-called ‘hazard’ classes instead of five ‘risk’ levels. Golden said people shouldn't expect dramatic changes to the wildfire risk of their property in the revised map, however there may be some adjustments based on past feedback. To do our jobs and to know where to put limited resources, and to know where to give guidance, we can’t get by without a map.” “And a lot of people aren’t gonna like being in a high hazard zone. “There’s some real challenges ahead,” said State Senator Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, who spearheaded the creation of the map. ![]() The map being created by Oregon State University researchers and ODF staff. The revised map is still based on the same data that created the original, which comes from the Quantitative Wildfire Risk Assessment. ![]() But, Gasperini said that doesn’t change the vegetation in surrounding areas, which could be contributing to a higher risk of wildfire. “So, weather, climate and topography, are not something that you can change as a landowner, a property-owner or at a property tax lot level,” said Derek Gasperini from the Oregon Department of Forestry.įlammable vegetation is also a factor in determining hazard, which is something property-owners can change. The name change reflects a shift by the designers to point out this map depicts the risk of wildfire based on environmental factors out of the control of individuals. What was called the ‘wildfire risk map’ is now the ‘wildfire hazard map.’ The map is intended to educate homeowners about their exposure to wildfire risk, determine where fire mitigation resources should be prioritized and identify where future state rules on home hardening and defensible space will apply. ![]()
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