"Some insurance companies agree. Victor Joseph, president and chief operating officer of Mercury Insurance, said his company is offering discounts to those who rebuild with fire resistant materials. "What we're incentivizing with these types of discounts is really some combination of steel, concrete and glass," Joseph said. He said homeowners can get up to 50% off the wildfire portion of their premium by rebuilding with materials like concrete. "In high wildfire areas, that results in a pretty substantial discount," he said."
"Concrete homes aren't automatically fire proof. Embers can still fly in through vents or windows. Steve Hawks, senior director for wildfire with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety , said even concrete homes need strong sealing. "The structure is only as good as the weakest link," Hawks said. "If you only address the siding material and don't address the window and the vents and the other components, you still leave the home very vulnerable to these significant, intense wildfires.""
Insurers are offering substantial discounts for rebuilding with fire-resistant materials such as steel, concrete and glass, with some policies reducing the wildfire premium by up to 50% in high-risk areas. Concrete construction can lower risk but is not inherently fireproof; embers can enter through vents, windows and other weak points. Comprehensive sealing of windows, vents and other components is necessary to realize protective benefits. Frustrated wildfire survivors are calling for the resignation of California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, citing delayed or denied claims and concerns that proposed reforms could favor insurance industry loopholes.
Read at Kqed
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