With wildfires scorching lands and burning down homes from California to Carbondale in recent years, homeowners - and insurance companies - are finally taking matters into their own hands.
And with cutbacks in federal agencies such as the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management leaving fewer dollars for costly fire battles on private land, the time seems ripe for private enterprise to pick up the slack left behind by the public sector - at least for those willing to pay.
Since 2004, insurance company American International Group Inc. (AIG) has contracted Firebreak Spray Systems, a private fire prevention company, to protect homes in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco, Calif., with its Phos-Chek fire retardant system. And with AIG only insuring homes worth $2.5 million or more, Vail and the Roaring Fork Valley were obvious sites of expansion in early 2007.
The fireproofing substance, Phos-Chek, has been used by the U.S. Forest Service since the 1940s, and is similar to the liquid chemical that is often dumped from planes on forest fires. But, instead of being used solely during a crisis, Firebreak's truck-delivered retardant is mostly designed as a preventive measure to be used around the perimeter of high-risk homes in AIG coverage areas.
"AIG has tons of clients in this area," says Firebreak consultant and L.A. fire chief Sam DiGiovanna. "And it's not a matter of if a fire is going to hit this area, but when. And when it does, it certainly has the potential to completely annihilate the community. The feds have also been cutting way back on firefighting resources, so people are relying a lot less on municipal governments and realizing that if they want protection, they're going to have to do something about it themselves."
DiGiovanna estimates that Firebreak, which only hires personnel with fire training, saved nearly $200 million in homes during last October's fires in California.
"The effectiveness is proven," he says. "Fire is fueled by three things: fuel - trees, grass, etc. - topography and weather. So between all the dry brush and trees, fire spreading up to 16 times faster on steep hills, windy and dry lightning conditions, this valley definitely has the potential of being a really treacherous place."
The fireproofing by Firebreak is free for AIG Private Client Group members, and can run anywhere from $500 to more than $1,000 for other homeowners, depending on the size of their property.
Bob Leighty, fire management officer for the White River National Forest, has used Phos-Chek numerous times in his long firefighting career, and agrees with DiGiovanna's claims about its effectiveness.
"I was using it a couple of weeks ago in fires outside of Colorado Springs," he says. "It was in a pretty high-profile urban area, and when used in the right places it really retards the spread of fire. There were homes we thought were in serious jeopardy (that had used Phos-Chek), and when we came back the next day, we were pleasantly surprised they were still there."
As for the environmental impact of the substance, when left alone on dry land it becomes inert and acts as a form of fertilizer. But, the chemical can be toxic in fisheries.
"If at all possible, we don't spray the retardant within 300 feet of streams or bodies of water," Leighty says. "It's relatively safe for all other wildlife."
The AIG-contracted trucks - of which there are nine total, and just one split between Vail and the Roaring Fork Valley - are also available to the various fire departments in the area during a wildfire, or if fire marshals deem extra fire mitigation necessary during events like fireworks displays.
"AIG is concerned with fire safety in general, and are pretty generous with their equipment," DiGiovanna says. "It's sort of like a burglar alarm system; people rest easier knowing they have that added a layer of protection."
damien@aspendailynews.com
