The nationwide study, according to Waters, would look at climate change as it relates to extreme weather events like wildfires.
“What can we do to prevent what we can with construction? What can we do with the materials that are used? Some materials are more prone to ignite quicker [than others],” Waters said. “[We want to find out] what can we do in terms of helping people to fireproof their homes in ways that we’ve never had to do before?”
Waters said during the interview that she was en route to Altadena — one of the cities devastated by the fires — to attend a church service. She also said she plans on visiting temporary shelter sites and will talk to UCLA about dispatching social workers to the shelters for crisis counseling.
“I think what we’ve got to look at is, what can the government do to back up the ability for people to have insurance coverage?” Waters said. “Look already at what devastation has been caused and start to look at what it takes in the federal government to get emergency appropriations.”
Waters expressed a “duty” to help homeowners and businesses in her community. “California has been prone to fires, and all the fires that we had in the north, we knew that we were going to have to do something. So, I think a number of bills are being attempted … and we are on the alert for what we can do quickly as we deal with these fires in California,” she said.
“Those of us in California are certainly looking at what’s going on … and can we identify those fire-prone areas? If so, that’s another whole way of saying that maybe this is not an area where homes or businesses should be built. We don’t know.”
Data illustrates the high exposure and risk levels. A LendingTree wildfire study published Thursday shed light on California’s exponential risk. One in five buildings in the state are exposed to wildfire risk, the report found.
“The high wildfire risk in California has also led to insurance companies completely withdrawing from underwriting policies in some parts of the state or limiting coverage for perils like wildfire, making it even harder for homeowners to find affordable policies that provide them with the protection they need,” LendingTree home insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar said in the report.
The report also mentioned that one in 10 homeowners in Los Angeles County, Riverside County and Ventura County have no insurance. “California’s home insurance market needs urgent reform because homeowners are making this a risky choice due to a lack of affordable options,” Sangameshar added.
The state has an estimated $1.4 billion in expected annual losses from wildfires, making it No. 1 on LendingTree’s list. Florida, which claims the No. 2 spot, has $269.3 million in expected annual losses. Per Reuters, the estimated losses from the LA fires currently sits at $20 billion.
