We had a wonderful meeting yesterday with volunteers from many burn areas and volunteer organizations. Tim (who wrote the following article for the Press Enterprise) was there as an observer, but lost his home in an unrelated fire in November of 2003. He is very sympathetic since he is finding himself in the same situation as us. Although he does live in Temecula, I have invited him to join our meetings to get information for himself. Hopefully we will see him soon!

Lila

Wildfires summit finds recovery slow

HOMES: Insurance and other issues have stalled progress and deadlines approach, victims say.

08:43 AM PDT on Tuesday, August 10, 2004

By TIM O'LEARY / The Press-Enterprise

Insurance coverage shortfalls and soon-to-expire temporary housing allowances are shadowing wildfire victims as they approach the one-year anniversary of deadly blazes that left thousands of homes in smoldering ruins.

Insurance difficulties, rising rebuilding costs and government agencies that initially offered help and then shifted to other community problems have left many fire victims angry, frustrated and unsure where to turn, speakers said Monday at a fire recovery summit held near Temecula. The event, sponsored by Community Partners, attracted about 40 people, mostly from nonprofit groups, service clubs, church relief groups and community organizations.

"At one point, we realized the cavalry wasn't coming," said Lila Hayes, whose mother's home was destroyed in the Del Rosa neighborhood of San Bernardino.

She said her mother, Charlotte Crandall, sued her insurance company after the proposed settlement came up $100,000 or more short. The insurance company boosted its payment, but Crandall has not withdrawn her suit, Hayes said, because she is unsure whether the new amount will cover rapidly rising construction costs and compliance with building code requirements.

The coverage shortfall prevented Crandall from moving beyond the site-clearing phase of her rebuilding effort.

Speaker after speaker at the workshop cited insurance settlement problems and other delays that have prevented fire victims from rebuilding.

They told of mounting complaints - now about 600 and growing by about two a day - that have flooded the state insurance commissioner's office in the wake of the Old, Grand Prix and Cedar fires in San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

Of the approximately 450 homes that burned in the Lake Arrowhead area, just 18 homeowners have received permits to begin construction, and seven other owners have submitted plans for review, said David Stuart, executive director of the Rebuilding Mountain Hearts & Lives.

Stuart and other speakers at the workshop said the one-year anniversary is a crucial milestone because that is the deadline for suing insurance companies, and it is also when the companies can stop paying a temporary housing allowance to fire victims.

"It's crunch time," Kehrer said.

Reach Tim O'Leary at (951) 375-3733 or toleary@pe.com

Read this article at:
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_News_Local_summit10.a1b40.html