In the Line of Fire

Claims News Service, July 6, 2:47 p.m. EDT — According to Insurance Services Office, from 1990 through 2003, property losses from catastrophic wildland fires amounted to $6.3 billion. The costliest event was the 1991 Oakland Hills, Calif., fire that caused property damage of $2.4 billion in inflation-adjusted 2005 dollars. The insured losses from two wildfires in San Diego and San Bernardino Counties in 2003 came to $2.2 billion.

To help identify areas at risk for wildfires and limit insurance claim payments, ISO offers satellite technology to pinpoint a property’s risk. Its geographic information system, FireLine, focuses on three key risk factors — fuel, slope, and road access — to assess the wildfire risk for each property, down to the street address.