Fire: Safety, Insurance & Preparedness

The importance of fire safety across Kayenta.

With the hot days of summer upon us, fire season is here.  Insurance, safety, and being prepared are important for our entire community.

A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune proclaimed:  “Homeowners in Kayenta, a community in Ivins, are being dropped by their insurance companies due to wildfire risk, despite no history of major fires in the area”.   In the past couple of months, concerned Kayenta residents have stopped by or called our office to either report that their fire insurance premiums have increased significantly or have been cancelled altogether.  Others have asked for referrals for insurance providers continuing to write fire policies for Kayenta homes.

Since the devastating Pacific Palisades fires in California, homeowners have become increasingly concerned, resulting in both “fire” and “water” being at the top of the list of factors impacting home ownership and prices locally.
Despite recent press, the issue of fire safety and fire preparedness is being grappled with across the southwestern United States, including Ivins and Washington County.  Town hall meetings have been held at Ivins City Hall and the Center for the Arts, and perhaps many of you attended.  As a result, there is guidance already available to residents on this topic.

Here at Kayenta Homes & Properties, we are not fire safety experts.  However, we are happy to share anecdotal thoughts that we’ve picked up over the past several weeks, to raise awareness amongst our Kayenta neighbors:

• Did you know that a sagebrush wildfire is not the principal fire concern; in fact, these relatively short plants spread across the red sand tend to have burn times of approximately 15 minutes or so and often leave homes relatively unscathed in the event of wildfire.  A far bigger concern is the mature trees, as they can burn longer and provide ladder fuel.
• Fire department officials strongly recommend that trees located close to physical structures, such as homes, garages, or pergola, should be trimmed, topped, or removed to significantly reduce the risk of major damage and destruction in the event of fire.
• We’ve been told that the Kayenta landscaping rules are being revised to encourage fewer trees to be planted near homes and allowances given where tree removal will result in a safer environment for managing and controlling wildfires.  Stay tuned for more guidance around this in the future, but it is safe to say that a distance of ten feet or more from structures is recommended.
• Did you know that, over the past couple of decades, local building standards, techniques, and materials, such as those found in the membrane flat roofs commonly found in Kayenta, have been modified and improved to create a higher resistance to catching on fire.
• Many of you may not be aware that there is an extensive sprinkler system that creates a “wet barrier” that runs the length of Kayenta along our western border, from the water tank at the base of the mountain down to the reservoir.  These sprinklers are tested regularly and can saturate the desert up to 20 feet to the east of our boundary.  In addition, Kayenta Development has a fleet of trucks that can be mobilized within minutes of a fire outbreak.
• We’ve had relatively few brush fires in Kayenta over the decades, and not a single record of a Kayenta home having been lost due to wildfire
• The city of Ivins decommissioned the fire station that was located in Kayenta up until several years ago.  This space is currently occupied by MakeSpace.  Whether or not the resulting drive times from the remaining Santa Clara/Ivins fire stations to Kayenta have materially impacted insurance coverage or premiums may be something that should be researched.
• We’ve been told that in those cases where insurance companies are deciding to cancel coverage in the region, they are required to provide a specific rationale and advance notice;  it is unclear what this means in actual practice.
• At a recent meeting at City Hall, it was reported that there are still around 100 insurance companies that continue to offer fire insurance coverage to our community.  We encourage you to compare policy coverage and premiums before making any decisions.

If you have had a good experience recently finding or relocating to another insurance provider or have any additional information to contribute to the fire safety conversation, we would greatly appreciate hearing about it so that we can pass this information along to our Kayenta neighbors and prospective buyers.

Please write to us at realestate.kayenta@gmail.com.