How Your 911 Phone Call May Cost You Thousands on a Fire Loss

Did you know there are people who listen in on the radio frequency used by the Fire Department on 911 phone calls? Be warned! You can expect a knock at your door shortly after making a call to 911 from various Public Adjusters, sometimes referred to as “ambulance chasers.” These Public Adjusters may tell you horror stories about your insurance company and how your insurance company will not treat you fairly or compensate you entirely for your damages. Beware as they may have one goal in mind - to take advantage of your misfortune in order to turn a profit.

Once a call is placed to 911 to report a fire, Public Adjusters competing with others in their line of work will race to be first-on-scene at the home, business or commercial building to take advantage of the situation. Public Adjusters may charge up to 40% of the total value of your claim for their services, costing helpless home, building and business owners thousands of unnecessarily-spent dollars. At 40%, they would charge $40,000 for every $100,000 you incur in costs for repairs and hotel stay, temporary housing or the cost to replace your personal or business property.

It may appear that these Public Adjusters travel in packs. Thirty of them may show up at a home or building immediately after the 911 call is made and for weeks afterward with different approaches and various sales pitches to get the property owner to hire them. They may blatantly lie to the property owner and tell them they were sent by the the insurance company (in an attempt to get information about the insurance company the building owner is insured with, what type of policy they have, the amount of their policy limits, their policy deductible and their insurance policy or claim number). In some cases, they have been known to offer the property owner or property manager an envelope full of cash for information or get them to sign with them for their services.

Public Adjusters often refer their own contractors who: 

• May likely not be insured, licensed or bonded
• May not pull permits or follow proper procedures
• May not finish the job after receiving a sizable down payment to begin repairs
• May cut corners in order to rake in even more cash for themselves (like replace plaster with drywall and not credit the owner the substantial price difference of the material & labor cost, not remove all affected materials in an attempt to save on construction costs, not replace insulation in the attic or walls, not hire a licensed abatement contractor to remove of and dispose of materials that test positive for lead or asbestos or install lower grade or not equivalent quality of materials than were initially in the home or building)

The Public Adjuster will likely tell you that you don’t have to pay them anything for their services and that the payment they receive will come from the increase they are able to get your insurance company to pay you. Regardless of whether they are able to increase the value of the claim or not, if you hire them, you are on the hook to pay them the percentage outlined in their contract. Ultimately, this could mean that you will receive less money than you would have been entitled to and that you don’t have enough money to repair all of the damage to your home or building or to replace your damaged business or personal property.

Most people don’t know that the adjuster sent by your insurance company will provide the same services as a Public Adjuster at no cost to the home or building owner. The difference between the two adjusters is that the Public Adjuster solicits and works for the general public who then pays them for their services. 

As an informed property owner, you should know that you have 72 hours to cancel a contract in the State of California, which is why the Public Adjuster may offer to report a claim to your insurance company on your behalf, while offering to put you up in a hotel or offer to send you and your family on a vacation for 3-days or more. In doing so, their intent may be that your insurance carrier can’t get a hold of you during the time period in which you can legally cancel your contract with them. They may fear that your insurance company’s adjuster will inform you about how Public Adjusters get paid or explain to you how the insurance company is regulated by The California Department of Insurance to follow the proper claims process.

Property owners need to know their legal rights - Legally, property owners can ask Public Adjusters to vacate their property , and can even call the police if they won't leave or continue to harass the owner. The California State Contractor’s License Board’s Website recommends not paying more than 10% of the total contract price or a $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment to any contractor.

The Bottom Line:

If you ever have to call 911 to report damage to your home or building due to a fire, make sure to give your insurance company a fair chance. If you feel you aren't bring treated fairly, contact The California Department of Insurance to initiate an investigation of your insurance company’s handling of your claim to ensure you are being treated fairly. Don't make a hasty decision while you are still traumatized from losing your home, pet, family member, business or property due to a fire.

If you feel confident that hiring a Public Adjuster is an option for you, make sure to check the California Department of Insurance’s website (www.DOI.CA.gov) to verify they are licensed and bonded and have no valid complaints filed against them. With so much information available to the public via the internet, you may also want to run a search on the Public Adjuster’s name or their company’s name to make sure others have had a good experience after retaining their services. As a final precautionary measure, you may also want to conduct research to confirm that the Public Adjuster has no criminal history of committing insurance fraud.

Specialized Outsource Solutions is here to insure a no hassle, worry-free, and trustworthy solution for you by referring contractors who are licensed, bonded, insured and believe in quality workmanship. SOS can refer a reputable contractor that specializes in cleaning the black soot residue from your home or building as well as your business or personal property and that also specializes in getting rid of smoke odor that can linger after a fire. Rely on SOS and call us at 1-888-589-1868 or request referral of a reputable contractor from our website.

The Red Substance Airplanes Drop on Wildfires

So what is the red stuff falling out of planes or being dropped from helicopters and how does it work? The substance is called Foscheck, though is more commonly known as slurry. It is a phosphorous mixture comprised of 85% water, 10% fertilizer (ammonia phosphate and sulfate ions), and 5% minor ingredients (iron oxide for color, clay or bentonite). Its main use is to create containment lines by coating vegetation areas in front of wildfires. Basically, it keeps the fire from spreading.

Fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat to burn, and water is the best at removing all three components. However, it’s not always the best application. The slurry retardant is better than water during wildfires because of its sticky property. Water would run down hillsides, evaporate quicker, and soak into the ground, while the slurry sticks to the vegetation and ground.

Here’s how it works...

When the fire interacts with the retardant, a chemical reaction occurs which creates only carbon and water, ultimately preventing flammable combustion. So pilots do not actually drop it on the fire (as it may appear when you see it on television news coverage), but they drop it around the fire to prevent it from spreading. Slurry also aids in cooling the fire so firefighters can get a closer to extinguish it.

Why is slurry red in color?

A red dye is added so the firefighting crews on the ground can see the areas it has been dropped. When an area is red, it is protected and firefighters can begin creating “firelines” around the red slurry. This is when they clear flammable materials (vegetation, brush, etc.) from a strip of land, giving the area little to no potential to burn. The vibrant red color also allows tankers to visually note the areas that have already been protected so they can drop more slurry where it is needed.

Once slurry coats the vegetation, the water evaporates and the mixture stays, leaving behind only the fertilizer which is absorbed into the ground. If a large rain storm occurs, the slurry washes away leaving behind fertilizer that actually helps restore the land and vegetation affected by the fire. Slurry is completely safe for human contact but can be harmful to animals (including fish), which is why there are no-drop zones. These no-drop zones are located in areas that have sensitive plants, vegetation, animals and bodies of water. Creating these zones are the only precautions authorities have taken to protect the land and wildlife.

If any of your property has had the slurry dropped on it, it is advised to wash it off because the red dye can stain. Cleaning up the slurry also ensures pets are safe and helps make certain that buildings, other construction materials, and plants are not permanently stained. This process is not recommended to be done using soap as it can actually cause further damage. Specialized Outsource Solutions can refer reputable contractors that have successfully cleaned Foscheck (aka slurry) from roofs, homes, buildings, gazebos, patio covers, decks, pools, walls, fences, trees, shrubs, plants, driveways, walkways, and lawns.

Due to winds often associated with wildfires, it is not uncommon for ash from a wildfire to enter the interior of a home or attic when a wildfire occurs within close proximity. Once the fire is extinguished, it may take time for the smoke odor from the burned hillside surrounding your home to dissipate. This usually occurs after a rainstorm. However, if the smoke odor inside your home is still lingering, there are contractors that specialize in cleaning ash or the black soot residue that can settle on horizontal surfaces on floors, in window and door tracks, and on the personal property and furniture in your home. These certified contractors use special equipment and a specific cleaning process that can rid your home of any residual smoke odor as well.

If smoke residue or a smoke odor remains in your home or your property has been covered with slurry, the property insurance policy you carry on your home should cover the needed cleaning. In this case, you may want to contact your insurance agent, broker or insurance company to submit a claim if the damage exceeds your policy’s deductible.

So if you own a home where a wildfire has occurred within a few miles of your home’s location and you have sustained damage from slurry, soot or smoke odor, rely on SOS to refer reputable contractors that specialize in bringing your home back to normal. 

Call us at 1-888-589-1868 or request a referral for reputable contractors from our website.

Soot & Smoke Fire Damage in Your Home

11 Ways to Prepare Now for Fire Season

Southern California residents need to be on alert now. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is urging residents to prepare for fire season. After such a dry winter, it is even more important to be mindful of how you can prepare your home with preventative measures to withstand the state’s hot, dry climate.

Specialized Outsource Solutions proposes these 11 tips to get your current home equipped to reduce the risk of fire damage:

1) Keep it Trimmed: Make sure you keep long-hanging branches cut six feet above the ground

2) End Before 10: Start your yard work early when the landscape is naturally dewy and the temperature is cooler, and finish up by 10 a.m.

3) Dismiss the Debris: Leaves, needles, and other yard debris needs to be cleared off the ground, gutters, and rooftop

4) Keep it in the Kitchen: Make sure a fire extinguisher is readily available in your cooking area, as cooks tend to spark flames from time to time

5) Chimney Sweep: Clean your fireplace chimneys and flues once every year, minimum

6) Detect and Protect: Place smoke detectors in living and sleeping areas, test them regularly, and replace their batteries at least once a year

7) Tools n’ Such: Make sure all heat-emitting tools are off when not in use, allow them to cool before storing, and replace frayed electrical chords

8) 100 Friendly Feet: Keep clear a 100-foot parameter around your home to increase the chance of it surviving a wildfire

9) Beware of Air-Freshener Plug Ins: Regularly monitor air freshener levels and unplug when you aren't at home and when you’re asleep

10) Fish Tank Savvy: Ensure the power strip isn't susceptible to contact with water

11) Electrical Power Strips: Never attach extension cord to into a power strip with multiple outlets, and do not plug appliances into power strips

SOS is a referral network for reputable contractors who specialize in fire restoration and fire-damage repairs. The customer service center is open 24-hours, 7 days a week, and you can always access the SOS online referral request HERE.

Call 888-589-1868 in case your home or building does sustain damage due to smoke, soot, or heat associated with a fire.

(SOURCE: Cal Fire News Release. “Cal Fire Increases Staffing in Southern California as Fire Danger Rises.” www.fire.ca.gov. April 2013.)

Get the Right Contractors with One Call