Dear Monica:  Will the fires, smoke and heat we are seeing in the West and the rest of the world mean we won’t be able to find affordable homeowner’s insurance?  Judy S.

Dear Judy:  There are many fires in California this year already,  some of which started this week.  Active fires are in varying degrees of containment, and the worst fire season is still ahead this Fall.   Last year’s Los Angeles fires showed that large urban areas can also burn with catastrophic and costly results.

It’s not known how insurance companies will react.  Some will leave the state as they have in the past, and it is certain that rates will go up.  Global warming is a long-term issue, and long-term strategies are needed to live with this reality.  Insurance is only one part of this.