House Fire

[Stormin Mormon]

Please be careful, folks. I've not met these people. But, I'm an email friend of Steve Spence. I've written to ask what the needs are. The house was a total loss, and there was no insurance.

Be careful. I was reminded last Wednesday that a negligent truck driver can total my Blazer, in an instant. A moment of inattention to fireplace ashes, and the house is gone.

I've emailed Steve (who is out of town at the moment, and has internet). What are the family's needs. Might be something we on AHR can help with.

[Hank]

Probably a scam of some sort. Scams are heavy this time of year. Very vague report. Anyway, if they couldn't afford insurance, they couldn't afford the house.

I'll bet he has a P.O. box to send money to.

Hank

[Harry K]

Not enough information to assume that. There are a lot of houses out there that aren't worth insuring but are still habitable.

Fires caused by careless disposal of ashes are a common source of house fires. Mine go from the stove (ash pan) right out the door and spread on the lawn.

Harry K

[Red Green]

Harry K wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Then there is no loss. Structure not worth say avg $1k/yr cost of insurance?

[Harry K]

[e-mail]:

No loss? What about the contents?

Harry K

[Harry K]

There are a whole bunch of people out there, hard working and honest who have their backs to the wall. When the kids need food some things have to be cut. My family was one of them. We had no insurance and I don't think there was any one amongst the neighboring farmers that did either. This was back mid 30s through the 40s.

Harry K

[Harry K]

All too true, time a crew arrives at the station then gets out into the country to the scene...not much to be done except protect other near-by buildings. I had a grass fire in the highway ditch. Called them and was sweating blood while trying to keep it out of my pasture by the time they arrived. One staion 4 mile away, one 6 and both showed about the same time.

Harry K

[Harry K]

What would you call burning your house down due to improper handling of wood ashes?

Harry K

[Ed Pawlowski]

"Harry K" wrote

Quite true, Harry, but this guy did it by choice.

[Pete C.]

No, self insurance is not part of being off grid. It is certainly possible to be commercially insured off grid, however you can not do it while being "old school" and not taking things like fire safety seriously. As I noted, things such as wood fired outdoor boilers are insurable since they do not present a fire hazard to the house, only to a small shed at most. An "old school" dry wooden farm house with wood stoves, inadequate clearances, and without adjacent fire rated surfaces

*is* a fire hazard as shown by this fire and is thus not insurable.

[Pete C.]

>> >

Yes, he took a risk in not setting up his off grid place in an insurable manner, and he lost and proved why his setup was not insurable.

[gpsman]

Stop cyber begging and we'll call it even. -----

- gpsman

[Vinny From NYC]

On Wed, 8 Dec 2010 14:22:18 -0800, "Steve B" wrote Re Re: House Fire:

Gibe us you mailing address and I'll send you a check.

[Pete C.]

Beyond the issue of not really properly addressing fire issues to begin with - more smoke detectors for earlier warning, more fireproof barrier materials and of course options to detach the fire from the house entirely i.e. outdoor boiler, the big issue sounds like having the house occupied by relatives who were not fully trained and cognizant of the proper procedures for managing the wood stove(s), hot ashes, etc.

[Harry K]

1. Where is there anything showing his house couldn't be insured?
2. How does "improper disposal of ashes" show his setup was "not insurable"?

Has absolutely nothing to do with whether his installation was safe or not.

I heat almost solely with wood. I am in the county. I have only a well with 3/4hp pump for water source.

Three strikes but I have full insurance and it was inspected and passed by the agent.

How I, or anyone, disposes of ashes has no effect on the "insurable" status of a place. Now if I were to burn it down due to poor disposing of ashes _and he could prove it_ the policy probably wouldn't pay out.

Spokane Wa almost always has at least one fire a year caused by some idiot putting a container of hot ashes out on their deck. The guy this year added a new twist. Beginning of heating season he put the container propped against his wood pile.

Stupidity cannot be rated by an insurer.

Harry K

[clare]

Back when the neighbours would all pitch in and have a barn up in a week, and a house in another. And they knew you would be right there for them if they needed help.

[Tony Sivori]

No such site at that address.

[Tony Sivori]

It's

[Steve B]

I notice there is quite a bit of space dedicated to legalized marijuana.

Steve

[Steve B]

Sorry, make that LEGALIZING marijuana.

Steve