Surviving Wildfire - Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

1 - Wildfire: A Growing Problem

  • Why the Threat of Wildfire is Growing
  • Factors Affecting Fire Behavior
  • How Homes Catch Fire
  • Faster than a Speeding Wildfire

2 - Assessing Your Risk

  • Do You Live in the Wildfire Zone?
  • Examining Your Danger Zone
  • What's Your Wildfire Risk?

3 - Improving Your Odds

  • Before You Buy Property
  • Before You Build
  • Firewise Building
  • Retrofitting Your Home
  • Ongoing Maintenance
  • Handling the Little Unexpected Emergencies
  • Can Responders Find and Reach You?

4 - Defensible Space You Can Live With

  • How Much Defensible Space is Enough?
  • Firewise Landscaping

5 - A Homeowner's Guide to Insurance

  • Are You Underinsured?
  • Your Basic Homeowner's Policy
  • Determining the Coverage You Need
  • Ten Questions to Ask Your Insurance Agent
  • Rate Your Carrier
  • When Policy Limits Don't Apply
  • Tips for Reducing Your Premium
  • Rebuild, Build, Buy, Cash Out?
  • Renter's Insurance

6 - Preparing Your Family for Disaster

  • Document Your Belongings and Structures
  • Create a Family Disaster Plan
  • Emergency Evacuation Kit
  • Your Important Stuff
  • Pets, Horses and Other Animals

7 - Ready and Alert During Wildfire Season

  • Where Will You Go?
  • When to Leave

8 - Stay Alive When Wildfire Threatens

  • Don't Gamble with Your Life
  • Time to Evacuate
  • Driving Through Fire
  • Trapped at Home
  • If You're Caught in the Open
  • Once You Are Out of Danger

9 - During and After Evacuation

  • The Waiting Game
  • The Moment of Truth
  • Sorting, Sifting and Cleaning Up

10 - Recovery: Picking Up Your Pieces

  • Where To Start
  • Taking Care of Yourself
  • Helping Pets
  • The Perpetual Shopping List

11 - Moving Forward: Relocate or Rebuild?

  • Relocating
  • Rebuilding
  • What About Your Land?

12 - Damaged but Not Destroyed

  • Insurance Questions
  • Inspecting Your Damage & Cleaning Up
  • Beware of Traveling Scammers
  • Facing the Challenges and Mourning Your Loss

13 - Filing a Claim: Insider Tips and Tactics

  • Maximizing Your Insurance
  • The Difference between Structure and Personal Property
  • Getting Through Your Contents Inventory
  • How to Research Replacement Value and Price Your Stuff
  • More Tips for Getting It Done
  • Settling Your Claim
  • Where's Your Money?
  • When Things Go Wrong
  • Should You Hire a Public Adjustor?
  • Insurance Lawyers

14 - Financial and Tax Considerations

  • Mortgages, Liens and Notes
  • Property Taxes
  • Tax Planning and Uninsured Losses

15 - Our Story

Acknowledgments

Appendix

  • Wildfire Resources for Homeowners
  • General Bibliography
  • Index

About the Author