Surviving Wildfire’s practical, well-researched advice could save homes, lives and insurance headaches and heartaches
LOVELAND, CO – March 15, 2013 — More than half of the people living with wildfire risk are underinsured, and nearly all are under-documented and unaware of what their insurance policy actually covers and how the claims process works. And every year people who’ve lost everything say, “We didn’t think it would happen to us. If only we’d been better prepared.”
Author and researcher Linda Masterson lost her home to wildfire in 2011. Now she’s written Surviving Wildfire, a straight-talking handbook and companion pocket guide. Her firsthand experiences and personal insights on the day-to-day challenges of living with wildfire risk and recovering from a major loss reach homeowners in a way that few others can.
“I definitely recommend Surviving Wildfire to insurance professionals and homeowners,” says Carole Walker, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. “It is a great, comprehensive resource! Masterson explains everything in understandable, objective language that is anchored in her personal experience.”
Well-researched and clearly written, Surviving Wildfire is a blueprint on how to be better prepared, stay alive when wildfire threatens, and rebuild lives if disaster strikes. The book bridges the gap between policyholder expectations and insurance realities, and gives insurance agents and others on the frontline an ideal outreach tool for preventing and reducing losses and preparing homeowners for the unthinkable.
“My husband and I lost everything but each other. On the road to recovery we had to deal with all the things we wish we’d known or should have done,” says Masterson. “I wrote Surviving Wildfire so no one else will have to learn their lessons the hard way.”
Surviving Wildfire starts with a sobering look at why wildfire is a growing problem, and what homeowners can do to assess and reduce risk. Masterson goes on to explain how insurance really works and drives home the consequences of being underinsured and unprepared. The chapters on recovery guide people through the process of dealing with a major loss. Surviving Wildfire gives people facing the possibility of disaster the information they need and the motivation to act on it.
Surviving Wildfire: Get Prepared, Stay Alive, Rebuild Your Life (A Handbook for Homeowners), $16.95; Handbook and Pocket Guide $19.95 by Linda Masterson is published by PixyJack Press.