Coconino County is one of the most at-risk areas in the entire country for wildfire, officials warned. And that’s creating a growing issue with homeowner’s insurance.
County officials relied on data from Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit land management research group that reports the county is facing risk that’s higher than 96% of the rest of the U.S.
That’s impacting homeowner’s insurance rates here, said Coconino County deputy manager Lucinda Andreani. She said a growing number of residents are experiencing rate increases.
"But we’re also hearing from individual property owners who are having a challenge in securing insurance," she said.
Officials plan to start holding meetings with the public to answer questions and hear concerns about the risks and associated costs.
The first public meeting is 1:15-2:45 p.m., Tuesday, June 3, at the Coconino County Administrative Building, 219 E. Cherry Ave. in Flagstaff or online at youtube.com/coconinocnty.
A recording will be posted online at the Coconino County Flood Control District’s website the following week.
-
From Spokane, Wash. to Pueblo County, Colo., fast-moving fires have again wreaked havoc in neighborhoods this summer. Now, a network of scientists, fire professionals and other experts have joined forces to seek research-based solutions to the problem. -
The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide more than $4 million in emergency funds to help repair and rebuild the Hart Mine Road Bridge in western Arizona. -
Wildfire smoke is not only harmful to the lungs. A new study from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix explains how exposure to smoke inhalation can cause damage to the brain. -
A pilot project in the Tonto National Forest is studying a potential new way to gauge wildfire risk. It involves monitoring moisture levels in both soil and plants — both living and dead. If it goes well, the sensors could be used across different ecosystems around Arizona and beyond. -
Invasive grasses like buffelgrass and stinknet have grown across large swaths of our Sonoran Desert, and they’re fueling wildfires — literally adding fuel to the fire.
