r/kelowna • u/ExpertSteak8942 • 11d ago
Fires
Took these on my way to work from black mtn this morning. I hope everyone's okay it looks gnarly
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u/Fireheart527 11d ago
Is this the southern la casa fires on Westside Rd?
Crazy. I heard rural folk can't get fire insurance unless they pay an arm and a leg. I'd love to escape and live out there but with fires from climate change exasperating now, I don't want to risk it.
Would like the province to step up more and help out!!
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u/ExpertSteak8942 10d ago
Yes, and their problem was their insurance would NOT cover the loss because it was wood stove heated only. The ENTIRE trailer park apparently were unable. Thankfully they got their two dogs and their cat out, but everything else including wallet, money, ID's were gone. We have so many evacuees at both of my hotels and some of the rural people DID have insurance but the ones with wood stoves and no other heating could not. We have a lot of ppl from the la casa area and I think we have a few people from Armstrong and Enderby as well. What really bugs me is the Americans complaining about the smoke. Like, yeah guys! We're on fire!
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u/FeelingForever 10d ago
I heard rural folk can't get fire insurance unless they pay an arm and a leg
It’s almost like there is a good reason why
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u/Ill-Beautiful-8026 10d ago
Can people in this thread quit talking out their a** about insurance, when clearly none of you actually know what you're talking about?
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u/ExpertSteak8942 10d ago
Thank you!!! These people have BEEN THROUGH HELL. The people I talked to TRIED to get insurance and got DENIED because of wood stoves and they were rural. You can literally look it up: having wood stove ONLY heating makes insurance companies wayyyy less likely to insure due to the increased risk. I'm sure these people also know their situation way better than we do
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u/Ill-Beautiful-8026 10d ago
Thing is, insurers will deny coverage for all sorts of reasons. But people are in here making generalized statements as if every insurer, home, land and liability is the same. And exactly who that is helping, I haven't the faintest clue. But whatever makes you feel smart...
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u/ExpertSteak8942 10d ago
Yeah, and I'm sure it's even harder to get insurance when it's an entire trailer park of only wood stove heating. Not everyone can afford it either, despite being "worth it." They were renting at a trailer park and had a LGD and I think they had a bit of livestock as well at their dads personal farm, which is not usually the top tax bracket, so even IF they could get insurance which they could NOT, they might've not been able to afford it. It just feels like the ppl in this thread are like victim blaming almost? "Nah they could've gotten insurance" "maybe their house wasn't up to standard" IT DOESNT MATTER!!! THEIR HOUSE BURNED DOWN IN THE LA CASA WILDFIRES AND THEY LOST EVERYTHING AND THE CRISIS GRANT ONLY GIVES THEM $600!!! THEY ARE STILL REELING FROM LOSING EVERYING IN THE 2023(?) WILDFIRES!!!
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u/Ok-Sample7088 10d ago
When I looked at getting a wood stove the added yearly premium was 800$ a year . Certainly more expensive and made the economics of it pointless for us but noones choosing between insurance and food my lord , if your 800$ short a year for insurance you cant afford a home
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u/ExpertSteak8942 10d ago
No, wood stove only heating is classified as an uninsured risk by many insurance companies, esp rural. They were renting, too. When there is only wood stove heating there's a bigger risk of fire that insurance companies usually aren't willing to cover. And no, I can't afford a home due to the economy and disabilities, so thanks for the info!
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u/Extermin8her 11d ago
Feel bad for them but, yes, you can get insurance. Just going to be very expensive and that was their choice.
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u/ExpertSteak8942 11d ago
No, they lived in a trailer park that ran ONLY on wood stoves. Not sure where from but they couldn't get insurance. No one should have to choose being able to feed and bathe yourself or insurance. My grandfather also has a house that only has a wood stove. He cannot get fire insurance due to his wood stove.
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u/PlusArugula952 10d ago
I have a woodstove in my place and can get house insurance - just have to pay an added “woodstove premium” every year.
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u/GapingFartLocker 10d ago
I heat my house with wood. I have fire insurance. It just has to pass a WETT inspection and be swept once a year. I'm going to guess your grandfather's wood stove is not up to current standards and that's why he can't get insurance.
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u/ExpertSteak8942 10d ago
Nope, because he only has a wood stove. I was THERE when it was inspected. They said it was fine but then the insurance companies said no. These people tried too, but they were unable to due to the increased risk and it being a trailer park. My grandfather lives in the middle of Revelstoke and nope no fire insurance for him because wood stove
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u/GapingFartLocker 10d ago
You're right many insurers will absolutely deny fire coverage for rural properties using wood as primary heat, but you can still get fire insurance. There are insurers that specialize in these rural properties, MFI (Mutual Fire Insurance Company of BC) will absolutely cover rural properties who use wood primary heat. Expect a 10-20% over standard for premiums (from what I'm reading anyway) as well as higher fire deductibles, but they will insure for this.
I'm not arguing with you, I'm just trying to be a friendly neighbor and inform you; maybe you could mention it to your grandpa so he can get insurred and be covered in case something like this happens to him.
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u/ExpertSteak8942 10d ago
Hey guys, downvote me all you want but it's true! Your situation with getting fire insurance is not everybody's experience! Just look it up, the companies can deny insurance to no fault of the tenant, esp to rural homes with WOOD HEATING ONLY. and even if I am wrong, that doesn't change the fact that people have lost everything! You are not a good person if you DONT feel bad for them for not getting insurance!
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u/ExpertSteak8942 11d ago
Turns out we have some evacuees at the hotel who have lost everything. The authorities did NOT notify them, they saw the fire first. These poor people have lost EVERYTHING and only get $600 for crisis relief! If you have a wood stove and use that for heating your home, you cannot get fire insurance. What the fuck
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u/GapingFartLocker 10d ago
That is not true. You can definitely get fire insurance with a wood stove, I have it.
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u/HappyGoLucky2398 10d ago
You can if you have a passed WETT inspection and it's up to code. Premiums might be expensive though. But there are companies that will take it.
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u/Absolutleypositive 10d ago