There is one fire hydrant in the entire Four Mile Fire Protection District. This backcountry northwest of Boulder, Colorado, is full of switchback canyons and nearly-dry creeks late into the fall. A 2010 wildfire funneled through the canyon and destroyed 168 homes. At the time, this was the most expensive wildfire in Colorado’s history. Yet, still only the one hydrant, reflecting larger issues of wildfire insurance affordability and a lack of disaster preparedness resources.

“Water is our Achilles heel,” Bruce Vaughn said as he showed off the department’s 2,000-gallon tender. When used on full blast, the fortified fire truck may only last for two minutes before needing a refill.

“It teaches us to fight fire a little different than city departments. They can have semi-endless water. We have to use our water very wisely,” Vaughn said.

Wildfire insurance affordability isn’t exactly the go-to topic when the firefighters meet for coffee in the kitchen, complete with glossy red cabinetry to match the polished fire trucks downstairs. For many Colorado homeowners, however, insurance has become something they very much want to talk about – the increasing likelihood of not being able to find a policy altogether. That burden has snaked its way up Four Mile Canyon, along with many other rural fire districts with gorgeous views of the mountains.

For some of these folks, there is newfound hope of reduced homeowners’ policy premiums and wildfire insurance affordability and security. A new state law, ‘Risk Model Use in Property Insurance Policies,’ makes the insurance industry offer transparent premiums savings on official websites, plus deliver written notice to all applying for a policy of their inherent fire risk.

“We can make homeowners insurance more affordable. That’s going to bring more insurance companies into the market because they’re going to want to compete in that space,” Mike Conway said. He’s Colorado’s state insurance commissioner. Over the course of our 20-minute in-person conversation, Conway used a form of that word, ‘competition,’ more than 15 times. He wants more insurers to come to his state, thus lowering prices.

Read the full article about wildfire insurance affordability issues by Ben Cathey at The Daily Yonder.