Sheriff Maketa and Black Forest Fire Chief Harvey

[Skip]

Can someone please fill in the holes for me?

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/black-forest-fire-investigation-el-paso-county-sheriff-terry-maketa-disputes-fire-chiefs-report


Maketa is good guy, so I know there's something more to the story here. Who is Harvey trying to scapegoat?

[stoner01]

I think he just wants attention.

[Dave_L]

I assume Maketa is trying to do one of the following:

A) Keep it hush hush while they search for the person that did it.

B) Prevent people from calling him daily asking why they haven't found someone to blame yet.

C) All of the above

[BushMasterBoy]

Stupid people with petroleum products for roofing. I don't think I could live in a forest with an ashphalt roof. Some insurance companies won't even write a policy if you have a cedar roof. You can build extremely fire resistant houses if you want to. Reminds me of the folks that don't wear seatbelts...and all the news from mainstream media is an absolute joke. It sometimes shocks the conscience.

[merl]

stucco & tile

[Colorado_Outback]

If they haven't figured it out by now they never will.

Arnt they still looking for point of orgin for Waldo Canyon?

[Ronin13]

I agree with Sheriff Maketa- don't make any statements or inferences until you have compiled the evidence and determined a root cause. Logic would dictate that you do not discuss an active investigation with these kinds of "conclusions" until all the facts are in. But as we know, some people in high up positions don't use logic when egos get involved.

[Colorado_Outback]

Stupid people with petroleum products for roofing. I don't think I could live in a forest with an ashphalt roof. Some insurance companies won't even write a policy if you have a cedar roof. You can build extremely fire resistant houses if you want to. Reminds me of the folks that don't wear seatbelts...and all the news from mainstream media is an absolute joke. It sometimes shocks the conscience.

Yeah.. everyone that lives there is clearly an idiot :rolleyes:... I mean where do they get off not having an extra couple thousand bucks each to get more fire resistant roofing in place before this happened?!

The nerve of some people..

[Dave_L]

Living in the woods is only going to get more and more expensive. Insurance requirements are going to get real strict on homes in high burn areas. Not to mention, the rate will either be high or you'll see a high deductible or both. Just nature of the beast.

[hatidua]

I don't think I could live in a forest with an ashphalt roof.


stucco & tile

Regardless of asphalt, or stucco/tile or even entirely corrugated metal siding/roof, there's no way I'd choose to live surrounded by forests in a climate as dry as Colorado - period.

[Skip]

Thanks for the responses guys! It sounds like Maketa is just trying to protect the investigation.

I thought maybe Harvey was trying to get political or something. Seems like a strong statement from the Sheriff. We'll have to watch how this unfolds.

As for the insurance/roofing/materials...

My in-laws have some land. We help them clear beetle kill--although not enough. And we discuss the fire danger often. It seems to me, mitigation will be cheaper in the future than insurance. There is nothing stopping communities from forming (or hiring) mitigation crews. Not HOAs but private partnerships.

I've thought about starting this as a business but time and money are limiting factors.

Money is tight with folks. Not everyone can afford to replace their roof and re-side their homes. And insurance will soon be out-of-reach too.

[Colorado_Outback]

Thanks for the responses guys! It sounds like Maketa is just trying to protect the investigation.

I thought maybe Harvey was trying to get political or something. Seems like a strong statement from the Sheriff. We'll have to watch how this unfolds.

As for the insurance/roofing/materials...

My in-laws have some land. We help them clear beetle kill--although not enough. And we discuss the fire danger often. It seems to me, mitigation will be cheaper in the future than insurance. There is nothing stopping communities from forming (or hiring) mitigation crews. Not HOAs but private partnerships.

I've thought about starting this as a business but time and money are limiting factors.

Money is tight with folks. Not everyone can afford to replace their roof and re-side their homes. And insurance will soon be out-of-reach too.

My parents have lived in BF since the early 90's . I grew up there, so I take offense being called stupid just because the house we bought has an asphalt roof (most of them out there do..).

They just had a crew come in and drop 10 65ft plus trees that were within 40ft of structure on their own accord. Their insurance company has been extremely nice and understanding of the situation, they wont be doing any inspections for 12mos after the fire.

[GilpinGuy]

Stupid people with petroleum products for roofing. I don't think I could live in a forest with an ashphalt roof. Some insurance companies won't even write a policy if you have a cedar roof. You can build extremely fire resistant houses if you want to. Reminds me of the folks that don't wear seatbelts...and all the news from mainstream media is an absolute joke. It sometimes shocks the conscience.

Would it be fair to say "Stupid people living in wood frame houses on the plains...a tornado can come by any time"?

Several years ago I had severe hail damage to my asphalt shingle roof (racquet ball sized hail - no sh*t). Insurance would only pay for a replacement asphalt shingle roof, and there was no way I could afford the much more expensive metal or ceramic roof. Am I stupid?

I'm not trying to antagonize you here, but jeez, not all of us in the mountains are wealthy and can afford the "latest and greatest" in fire protection. Now, I have come to terms with the fact that my entire property could go up in flames and have prepared as best I could with a plan to escape with the essentials if I have time. If you live up here, you just have to realize that there's a risk and live with it.

Just like living in the plains, or on the sea shore, or near a volcano, or near a fault line, etc.

[Bailey Guns]

Stupid people with petroleum products for roofing.

Almost as bad as stupid people making stupid generalizations.

[Monky]

So what would be an acceptable way to live so we would not be stupid?


Sent by a free-range electronic weasel, with no sense of personal space.

[merl]

For you Monky, back in your tree :)

Stupid was a poor choice of wording. Tis really about how much risk you accept. Choosing to live in the woods with a house that burns is a risk. Choosing to live on the plains with a hoiuse that can blow away is a risk.

Make your choices and live with them. Your house burns down in a forest fire don't complain about fire protection. Your house in a flood plain washes away don't complain about levees.

[davsel]

Living in the woods is only going to get more and more expensive. Insurance requirements are going to get real strict on homes in high burn areas. Not to mention, the rate will either be high or you'll see a high deductible or both. Just nature of the beast.

We just closed on a house near Florissant. USAA would not touch the insurance, and their referral company also refused. I contacted 5 or 6 different companies, and the only ones who would give me a quote were Farmers and American Family - and it ain't cheap.

[Bailey Guns]

We just closed on a house near Florissant. USAA would not touch the insurance, and their referral company also refused. I contacted 5 or 6 different companies, and the only ones who would give me a quote were Farmers and American Family - and it ain't cheap.

Give Country Financial a call. We're part of that stupid crowd that lives in a treed area with a shingled roof...on a log home. Double-whammy stupid. CF was the only company that would write us a policy...and it was pretty reasonable considering the location/construction/value of the house/outbuildings/property.

PM me if you'd like my agent's number.

[Dave_L]

We just closed on a house near Florissant. USAA would not touch the insurance, and their referral company also refused. I contacted 5 or 6 different companies, and the only ones who would give me a quote were Farmers and American Family - and it ain't cheap.

Unfortunately, I see that as the not-so-distant future for all mountain/rural homes. It'll be a home for the rich. You'll either have to self insure or pay really high premiums.

What will happen in the mean time, is all the high risks will be funneled to a company or two that's willing to take the gamble. One more fire and they'll experience the most pay out and then that company or companies will move out of that market. They'll just try to make hay in the meantime to offset the potential pay out.

Just my $.02 on it. I've always wanted to live in the mountains/forest but working in insurance has given me new light on it, unfortunately.

[screagle2]

Yeah.. everyone that lives there is clearly an idiot :rolleyes:... I mean where do they get off not having an extra couple thousand bucks each to get more fire resistant roofing in place before this happened?!

The nerve of some people..

Just FYI, it is called personal responsibility and fore thought. Things lost on all too many.

[screagle2]

For you Monky, back in your tree :)

Stupid was a poor choice of wording. Tis really about how much risk you accept. Choosing to live in the woods with a house that burns is a risk. Choosing to live on the plains with a hoiuse that can blow away is a risk.

Make your choices and live with them. Your house burns down in a forest fire don't complain about fire protection. Your house in a flood plain washes away don't complain about levees.


Exactly!

[Ronin13]

Unfortunately, I see that as the not-so-distant future for all mountain/rural homes. It'll be a home for the rich. You'll either have to self insure or pay really high premiums.

What will happen in the mean time, is all the high risks will be funneled to a company or two that's willing to take the gamble. One more fire and they'll experience the most pay out and then that company or companies will move out of that market. They'll just try to make hay in the meantime to offset the potential pay out.

Just my $.02 on it. I've always wanted to live in the mountains/forest but working in insurance has given me new light on it, unfortunately.
That's not very realistic- otherwise communities like Evergreen, Conifer, Bailey, Pine, most of Morrison, etc would disappear overnight. The real problem isn't living in the forest, it's mitigation. If people would stop being so idiotic and actually do some fire mitigation (like clearing trees from around your house, trimming up the trees outside the buffer zone, and cleaning up your damn property of all that slash) it wouldn't be as bad. Granted, a really bad fire, no amount of mitigation can save the homes, but it would give the owners somewhat of a fighting chance. The real problem with all these fires and their destructiveness is attributed to urbanization. We've become so spoiled that we no longer allow nature to do it's natural cycle of burn and grow back. Some areas of Colorado haven't burned in almost 100 years, so the growth has overgrown, and the dead vegetation litters the floor and just waits for a spark to send it into a raging inferno. There is no real feasible way to get into some of the dense wooded areas to clean them up, and people are so up in arms that we have to put the fires out ASAP instead of letting the natural thing happen to where it burns then grows back. We've severed the natural cycle, hence why these fires are so destructive.