When the flames ceased and the smoke cleared 476 homes and other personal property were burned—some property completely destroyed. The homeowners, who lived in Bastrop County, Texas, just east of Austin, were devastated by last year's wildfire that consumed their homes and precious belongings.

The Bastrop Fire claimed the record for the highest amount of homes lost in a single fire in the state's history. The destructive blaze cost a total of $325 million in insured losses.  As high temperatures and severe draught are blamed for the wildfires in Texas, a booming population moving into the moutnatins and foothills of the the Rocky Mountain Region is creating more risk, proving that wildfires are no longer a regional threat. The picturesque scenes of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico landscapes are too tempting to resist. Meanwhile a growing threat rumbles throughout these areas snuffing out the beautiful scenes and families' dreams.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) catastrophic fires account for 2.2 percent of insurance losses, compared to 26 percent for tornadoes, 46.3 percent for hurricanes and tropical storms, 7.5 percent for terrorism, 7.8 percent for winter storms, 6.4 percent for earthquakes, and 3.1 percent for wind/hail damage.