FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Coconino County leaders are calling residents back for a second public work session on the growing wildfire-insurance crisis, an issue that has already drawn intense community concern. The meeting will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, at the Coconino County Administrative Building, 110 E. Cherry Ave., Flagstaff. The session will also be streamed live at youtube.com/coconinocnty.
Insurance Industry Perspective
This session will give Northern Arizonans a direct opportunity to hear from the insurance industry. Ethan Aumann, Senior Director of Environmental Issues and Resiliency with the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), will present on how insurers evaluate wildfire risk, the tools being used to measure it, and strategies communities can adopt to help keep coverage available and more affordable.
“Skyrocketing homeowners insurance premiums and the cancellation of policies are rocking our communities and jeopardizing people’s budgets and home security,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman. “Unfortunately, I am hearing almost daily from residents who have been notified that they have been dropped from their homeowner insurance coverage and are frantically searching for alternatives.”
Rising Costs and Community Risk
Coconino County ranks in the top 4 percent of U.S. counties for wildfire risk, with nearly half of wildfire-related costs falling directly on local communities. County Flood Control District Administrator Lucinda Andreani noted that some homeowners are already experiencing insurance rate hikes of up to 300 percent, despite large-scale forest restoration projects underway in partnership with the City of Flagstaff and the U.S. Forest Service.
Aumann emphasized that wildfire risk is complex, influenced by terrain, vegetation, drought, wind speed, and community preparedness. “Insurers are using advanced tools—from satellite data to catastrophe models—to better understand these risks, but no model is perfect,” he said. “That’s why science-based mitigation, from ‘hardening’ homes to strengthening community-wide fire protection plans, is so critical to limiting losses and keeping insurance available.”
Lessons From Other Communities
As an example, Aumann pointed to Paradise, California, devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire. The community has since embraced the “Wildfire Prepared Home” model developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), rebuilding with fire-resistant standards and community-wide plans to harden homes and neighborhoods. These measures include noncombustible materials, hardscaping around structures, and ember-resistant vent covers and screens. According to Aumann, embers—often carried from fires miles away—cause up to 90 percent of wildfire home losses.
County’s Call to Action
“Coconino County is committed to bringing all stakeholders together—homeowners, insurers, builders and government leaders—so we can find meaningful solutions,” Horstman said.
For more information, including materials from June’s meeting and future updates, visit coconino.az.gov/wildfireinsurancecrisis.
