Fire Risk Goes Up the Minute the Heat Goes On

At just a month into Fall, some Wisconsinites already shoveled snow, many are past the first frost, and most are firing up their heaters to offset the falling temperatures.

It’s that time of year when scores of Northerners plan to escape winter’s icy grip for a winter vacation. If that applies to you, making sure your home is properly prepared and secured before you head south could prevent a catastrophe. Follow these winter home safeguarding tips to help avoid a costly insurance claim.

An insurance company will never voluntarily pay more than an amount claimed by a policyholder. So if you suffer a loss, the scope of damages needs to account for everything needed to restore the property to “uniform and consistent” appearance. That’s where licensed public adjusters can really prove their worth—using their extensive knowledge and experience to include claim elements that may not appear obvious to the untrained eye.

According to Insurance Services Office (ISO), water damage claims are the second most frequent insurance claims after wind and hail damage. Most water damage claims this time of year are caused by frozen pipe bursts, and this year’s winter has been especially brutal, affecting areas as far south as Texas and Florida.

Each year from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November, clocks, watches, computers—anything to do with the time of day—are set to Daylight Savings Time (DST), or one hour ahead of Standard Time (ST). Except for most of Arizona, we’ll get that hour back during the wee hours of Sunday morning, November 5, as DST yields back to Standard Time.

What is the leading cause of house fires in the United States? According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics compiled from 2011-2015, a whopping 43 percent of the nearly 360,000 house fires responded to by U.S. fire departments were caused by cooking equipment, followed by heating systems/furnace, 15 percent; electrical systems and lighting equipment, 9 percent; arson, 8 percent; and smoking materials, 5 percent. Other fire causes included unattended candles, dryers and washing machines, lightning, children playing with fire, Christmas tree lighting, and faulty fireplaces.

There are many expenses that come with buying a home. One of the most important is homeowners insurance. While it’s natural to wonder whether this expense is necessary, there are many reasons why it is a crucial protection for any homeowner. Here are a few important things buyers should remember about homeowners insurance:

Here is a scenario that occurs more often than you might think.

If you’re a property manager, real estate developer, attorney or commercial property owner, dealing with a rental property fire claim can be overwhelming. So can navigating the claims process with your insurance company. But knowing what to do in that process and when will surely help ease some stress. Here are some of the things you need to address as a landlord when there is a rental property fire claim.

You won’t find June 28 celebrated with parades, festivals or fireworks. In fact, the only people who give a rat’s tail about National Insurance Awareness Day are those who work in the insurance industry — and most of them don’t even care.