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SoCal Takes Stock, Rebuilds After Fires

SAN DIEGO-Now that the winds have calmed and the flames have burned out many Southern Californians are facing burnt houses, lost mementos and the daunting task of figuring out what to do next.

By Nellie Day | Updated on November 02, 2007

SAN DIEGO-With most of the wildfires now under control many of the 881,500 evacuees were able to return home this week – that is if they still had one. The Disaster News Network estimates that the 16 wildfires that spanned from Malibu to Running Springs to San Diego destroyed more than 2,000 homes and charred more than 50,000 acres.

One of the first steps that many who lost their homes took was contacting their insurance companies. Real estate lawyers and lenders caution, however, that although contacting the insurance agent quickly is a good first step it is not nearly enough to ensure that a claim will be processed efficiently. Belinda Austin is one such loan officer who, having been active in the mortgage industry for more than eight years while living in Carlsbad, has seen how assumptions and naiveté about insurance claims can lead to even further disaster.

“I believe the worse thing homeowners can do right now is assume,” she says. “Do not assume that you have adequate insurance coverage. Do not assume that the lender will extend your interest rate for free due to a disaster… Homeowners need to understand their homeowner insurance policy inside and out. I strongly encourage everyone to contact their insurance agent to make sure that they have adequate coverage.”

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