“We won’t insure you”: Robie Creek homeowners struggle to get home insurance due to wildfire risks

ROBIE CREEK, Idaho — The Claremont Fire has brought wildfire risks to top of mind for neighbors living in places like Robie Creek, where residents saw Level 3 evacuations this week.

Many Idaho homeowners in rural areas like Boise County say they are having their home insurance policies dropped because of wildfire risks, leaving many scrambling to find coverage or going with none at all.

“This one was good — we knew it was coming, the one that was the Valley Fire in 2024 came up behind the hill. It was closer than this one even,” said Christian Dahlstrom, who has lived in Rocky Canyon since 2008.

WATCH | Hear from Robie Creek homeowners about being dropped from coverage with no luck getting re-insured

“We won’t insure you”: Robie Creek homeowners struggle to get home insurance due to wildfire risks

“I was insured since then until last year, so following the 2024 fire or fires, the insurance companies up here started reevaluating and they canceled a lot of folks and I was one of them,” Dahlstrom said.

He and many of his neighbors are now living without homeowners insurance because they can’t find a provider that will offer them full coverage.

“I have contacted every insurance carrier in the phonebook,” Dahlstrom said.

He said his mortgage company eventually insured the home, but only for the value of the mortgage. He could still lose everything if the home were destroyed in a fire.

“One insurance company said yep they’ll insure me but I had to take every single tree off the property. Well, then why am I living in the forest?” Dahlstrom added.

Others in Robie Creek say they are facing similar problems.

“And it’s not even a, well now you have to pay twice as much. It’s a we won’t insure you,” said Oscar Williamson.

Williamson recently bought a home in Robie Creek and said he needed insurance coverage to close on the property.

“We had gone through 40 different insurance companies to try to get it insured and nobody would ensure it they said it was in a high fire area,” Williamson said.

He nearly backed out of the purchase until his mortgage company offered limited coverage similar to Dahlstrom’s.

“You have no choice either run it without insurance or you don’t own the house,” Williamson said. “There should be an easier way of doing this.”

RELATED | “We’re all being canceled”: Idaho homeowners struggle to maintain home insurance amid wildfire risks

This is an issue affecting homeowners across the Treasure Valley and Idaho — residents in Garden Valley and the Boise Foothills have also reported losing coverage because of wildfire risk concerns.

RELATED | Idaho homeowners face insurance cancellations and rate hikes over wildfire risk

Boise Fire Chief Aaron Hummel says they’re working with partners to help reduce risks for homeowners and improve insurability.

“We also we’re trying to do our part with the Western Fire Chief Association, insurance carriers to see what can we do to use some of the contemporary tools to help mitigate some of this challenge,” Hummel said.

They are hoping to use new technology and grant funding to better protect homes in the wildland-urban interface.

“And essentially what we’re trying to do is leverage current AI technology and modeling tools to be very targeted in addressing areas that are vulnerable,” Hummel said.

You can find more information about Boise Fire’s goal to help reduce wildfire risks for homeowners here.