Insurance
Home›Insurance›Property Insurance›Hawk Fire nears full containment as wildfire coverage…
Hawk Fire nears full containment as wildfire coverage questions persist
The blaze northwest of Reno burned about 15,000 acres and destroyed more than 40 homes, with coverage outcomes hinging on whether policies were issued or renewed after Nevada’s Jan. 1 wildfire law.
Firefighters reported the Hawk Fire northwest of Reno was 85% contained as of Tuesday evening, up from 27% a day earlier, after crews stopped the fire’s forward progress and shifted to putting out hot spots along the perimeter. Officials said containment is expected to keep rising and that teams are working to allow evacuated residents to return home as soon as possible, Insurance Business reports.
The fire has burned roughly 15,000 acres since it started Aug. 22, and confirmed structure losses have increased to more than 40 homes destroyed, up from 32 reported a day earlier, with damage assessments still under way. Seven people were injured, four civilians and three firefighters with minor burns, and no deaths were reported, while about 5,000 people remained under “evacuate now” orders as of Tuesday afternoon, down from a peak of roughly 87,000 over the weekend.
Insurance Business highlighted that the coverage issue is closely tied to Nevada’s new law allowing insurers to carve wildfire coverage out of standard homeowners policies. Nevada’s Division of Insurance urged residents to review their policies, saying coverage may have been removed or repriced for policies issued or renewed since AB 376 took effect on Jan. 1.
Even with the human-cause finding, investigators said it remains unclear whether the fire was set intentionally, and the determination is unlikely to change whether a standard policy pays for a fire loss. However, the outlet noted that if negligence is established, insurers that pay claims would have potential grounds to pursue recovery through subrogation, and APCIA guidance for survivors urged affected households to contact their insurer or agent as soon as it is safe and begin the claims process, with Karen Collins describing the first step as the most important.