New Wildfire Defense Program Saves Customer’s Chickens and Home

Strangers on a Mission; Customers in Awe.

A Grand Junction, Colo., customer was surprised to see strangers parked in her driveway. After all, it wasn’t the best time for visitors. She’d recently been evacuated from her home as a wildfire raged in west-central Colorado. She’d only gotten permission to return to care for the chickens she’d had to leave behind, along with other much-loved possessions.

Luckily, the strangers turned out to be wildfire defense personnel State Farm^® hired to protect her home. They turned on and repaired irrigation lines and stayed close to keep an eye on things. They reduced the spread of the wildfire, saved her home and her chickens.

“The customer was in awe,” said State Farm Agent LaVonne Gorsuch. “She said State Farm saved their home. If those men hadn’t been there, the fire would have destroyed it.”

Services that Save

State Farm introduced Wildfire Protection Service in February 2020 for Homeowners (non-renters) in Colorado and Oregon, where approximately 500,600 State Farm policyholders could benefit from the service. The service is added at no additional charge.

During the initial phase of testing, the wildfire response vendor responded to 29 wildfires and visited 1,792 properties, saving over 70 homes from wildfires. No properties were lost once the vendor visited a home identified as being in harm’s way.

Starting April 1, this service will expand to California, Arizona and Washington and include Farm and Ranch customers. These states have seen a significant increase in wildfires in 2020.

This program can give customers peace of mind and help protect property from wildfire peril, offering a new opportunity to be there for our customers when needed most. “We had some fence damage and some smoke damage, but our home is safe,” the Colorado customer said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you... State Farm was there.”