CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. — Those living in Chelan County are working hard to combat the effects of climate change and an increasingly tense insurance crisis that’s coming with it.
Firefighters, homeowners and nonprofit organizations are going from responding to wildfires to becoming fireproof.
“We want to be fire adaptable so that fire can come through, but it doesn’t cause the damage it normally would," said Kelly O’Brien, Chelan County District Number Three fire chief. "So I would say probably fire resistant,”
Firefighters are aiming to protect lives, property and insurance policies.
KING5 investigators first revealed insurance companies are dropping homeowners for what they say is wildfire risk at record rates. But homeowners are not buying it, saying they’ve been unfairly dropped. In the last year, formal complaints to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner have doubled.
“Well it’s frustrating to me because we do the best we can to protect homeowners," O'Brien said. "I think you’ll see people pay in the amount of insurance, a high rate of insurance that may force them to move out of the area."
He’s taking unprecedented steps to get rid of that wildfire risk and spearheading the effort to try to make Chelan County the first fire-resistant county in the state.
In the past homeowners were responsible for getting rid of fire fuel around their homes. Now firefighters like these are doing the job: thinning trees, clearing undergrowth and cleaning up evacuation routes.
“This is what the future is what wildland wildfire looks like,” O’Brien said.
It’s a big undertaking when the Wenatchee National Forest is like a match waiting to ignite. A 2018 Forest Service report ranked 100 cities in Washington and Oregon based on the communities most threatened by wildfire. Four cities in Chelan County made it in the top 10. The number one most at-risk city from wildfire was Leavenworth, the very one O’Brien is trying to protect.
“I think it’s dire now but it’s getting worse," O'Brien said. "You’re going to see this get worse before it gets better."
With fire seasons longer, hotter and more destructive, firefighters in Chelan County are working year-round. They’re trying to show insurers they’re going above and beyond to protect the community.
“It’s becoming more of a normal for fire district activities," O'Brien said. "We used to do inspections, now we’re removing the fuel."
It’s not just firefighters, citizens like John Callahan are stepping in to meet the goal of making Leavenworth fireproof, or close to it. He’s the president of an organization that leads town halls, organizes education groups and secures grants to help Chelan County prepare for the inevitable when a wildfire sparks.
"It’s an ongoing education process," Callahan said. "You can never talk about it enough. You don’t want to be talking about it after the fact."
Homeowner Jeremy Britten has been dropped by insurance companies twice. He said each time he was able to get new insurance, his premiums increased by 50%.
“I wish they would at least look at the work that people have done," Britten said. "Take a closer look at what is the risk because I feel like they are like oh, there’s wildfire potential in this whole area and therefore we are not going to insure people."
Now, he feels like it’s only a matter of time until he’s dropped again. Britten hopes to push back that date by protecting his home before a wildfire comes through.
“If I get dropped again, I don’t know what I’ll do," Britten said. "I think it would be hard to sell a home with no ability to insure from wildfire."
It’s a worry for those who live in Leavenworth, what happens to a town when no one in it can get insurance?
“If people can’t get insurance, how do they live there?” Callahan said.
For the man trying to make Chelan County fireproof, it’s frustrating that insurance companies appear to be dropping homeowners no matter what.
“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for when or how they’re dropping," O'Brien said. "It’s frustrating. It’s irritating. You know you want your people to get the best insurance rates you can get."
But the community continues to chip away with the hope that someone will acknowledge their work.
The last time structures were lost in Leavenworth was 30 years ago, during the Rat Creek Fire. O’Brien said they’ve learned a lot since then.