High risk for wildfires in Florida

Jun 11, 2011 2 min read

Low humidity and windy conditions combined with low rainfall have led to an increased danger of wildfire throughout Florida this year, according to state officials.

Since Jan. 1, 2,664 wildfires have burned 128,675 acres throughout Florida – nearly twice as many fires as the Division of Forestry responded to during the same period last year.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety offers home and business owners information on how to reduce their risk from damage due to wildfire. The IBHS Wildfire Retrofit Guide- Florida Edition addresses the unique building styles and characteristics found in Florida. It also offers guidance for creating a wildfire-resistant landscape. Property owners can use the Wildfire Risk Assessment Checklist at the end of the guide to determine the retrofit projects they want to undertake, and use the cost estimator in the checklist to help prioritize the projects they can do now and those that should be part of future maintenance and renovations.

To arrange an interview with IBHS contact Joseph King at 813-675-1045/813-442-2845, jking@ibhs.org or via direct message on Twitter @jsalking.