Join Fire Chief Dan Cazier, Fire Marshall & Division Chief Con Fulde, and Utah Insurance Commissioner Jon Pike on Wednesday May 7th at 7pm at Rocky Vista University (255 E Center Street) for a “Talkabout” focusing on fire risk, mitigation, and property insurance issues.
You can view the talkabout live via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85256267875
This is about fire risks and how to defend against them with simple steps we can take around our homes. But it’s more than that. It’s also about protecting our homes with adequate property insurance. Ivins homeowners, and many others around the state, have been grappling with skyrocketing insurance rates over the past couple of years.
Some residents, particularly those in areas deemed wildfire-prone, have even been dropped by their insurance providers. A new bill, HB 48, “Wildland Urban Interface Modifications,” which was signed by the Governor in March aims to address these issues by redefining wildfire risk zones with a state-specific mapping system.
Insurance companies currently rely on national wildfire risk maps, which often classify entire communities as high-risk, even when local conditions suggest otherwise.
Among other requirements in the bill, insurers are directed to use the state’s wildfire risk assessment mapping tool for underwriting decisions.
The proposed mapping system leverages data collected by the Utah Division of Forestry, where state workers have meticulously assessed the “fuelscape,” or the fire risk, in individual neighborhoods and properties.
Hopefully Utah Insurance Commissioner Jon Pike can give us a positive update on this at the Talkabout (Read more here).
Despite its potential impact on wildfire mitigation and community safety, HB 48 has not garnered widespread public attention. This lack of visibility may be due to the technical nature of the bill. However, as implementation progresses, especially with the new requirements set to take effect in January 2026, it’s anticipated that awareness and discussions around the bill will increase.
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