A year ago, most of us downloaded an App we had never heard of before. We instantly believed and trusted the information on the App. Who are they, and how did they garner our trust so quickly? Watch Duty is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization focused on disseminating public safety information in real time from […]

Something every property owner needs to understand… The Backward Pricing Problem. If your insurance premiums have doubled, this explains why and what to do about it. Most property owners think insurance works like this: “I had X claims last year, so I pay Y this year.” They’re pricing backward. Looking at history. But that’s not

Vegetation in Zone Zero Amplifies Damage to Structures. In a recent Virtual Workshop, United Policyholders hosted Steven Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), and Yana Valachovic, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Institute,  Associate Director, discussed the science behind Zone Zero. Zone Zero reduces

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). In response to the growing threat of wildland fires to local communities, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) have developed a new Wildland Fire Data Portal, which provides open access to the experimental products from the Next Generation

Calabasas Firewise launched at the beginning of 2025. The following are a few of our achievements: As of December 2025, Calabasas Firewise now has 14 active, officially recognized Firewise USA® Communities — designated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Approximately 51% of Calabasas residents now live within a Firewise Community. We have formed a core

Make sure your contractors and landscapers review this handbook BEFORE working on your home. This WUI Virtual Handbook for Fire Risk Assessments and Mitigation, from the Society of Fire Protection of Engineers (SFPE) and the SFPE Foundation, is an excellent resource for residents, contractors, landscapers, or anyone doing work on your home. It does an excellent

California’s recent regulations. This PDF document by Carolyn Kousky and Xuesong You, from Insurance for Good (insuranceforgood.org), provides a comprehensive breakdown of California’s recent wildfire insurance-related regulations, incentives, and discounts. It includes detailed mitigation discounts given by California’s top insurers. Click on the image below to view the PDF:

City of Calabasas Wildfire Resiliency Home Hardening Incentive Grant Program The City of Calabasas has established a program to provide financial assistance to qualified residential property owners. The Residential Applicant must complete the online application (see button below) and supply all the necessary support information. Based on the information provided by the Resident, the City

STARTING NOVEMBER 1, 2025 City of Calabasas Wildfire Resiliency Home Hardening Incentive Grant Program The City of Calabasas has established a program to provide financial assistance to qualified residential property owners. To begin the application process, the Resident is required to first get a Free Home Ignition Zone Evaluation (HIZE) from the Emergency Preparedness in