Mercury Insurance Partners with Author and Land Management Expert Professor Douglas Kent to Help Californians Mitigate Their Wildfire Threat

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (July 14, 2020) – Today, Mercury Insurance (NYSE:MCY) announced its partnership with wildfire expert Douglas Kent, Professor of Land Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and author of more than 50 articles and eight books on practical land management, including “Firescaping: Protecting Your Home with a Fire-Resistant Landscape.” The collaboration will provide California homeowners with tips for how to better protect their property from potential wildfires, as well as provide Mercury’s underwriters and claims representatives with additional knowledge and skills to write policies in wildfire-prone areas.

“Wildfires are a massive concern for many California residents, usually due to the typically dry climate throughout the state,” said Kelly Butler, Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer at Mercury Insurance. “However, this year’s spring rains and snowfall can foster plant growth that provides ample fuel for the coming wildfire season.

“It’s important that homeowners take proactive measures to keep their families and properties safe, and maintaining a proper landscape is a key safety feature. Partnering with Professor Kent allows us to give a new perspective on proactive wildfire safety that homeowners may not be aware of.”

Douglas Kent is an author, educator and specialist in ecological land management. His book “Firescaping: Protecting Your Home with a Fire-Resistant Landscape” is the most comprehensive guide to living safely in fire country. He is also the Principal of Douglas Kent + Associates and Adjunct Professor at Cal Poly Pomona’s John Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies. Kent has been working in California’s landscapes for more than 40 years and has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, Fine Gardening, HGTV and many other publications.

“Mercury is taking a different approach to writing policies in fire-prone areas,” said Douglas Kent. “By evaluating homes case-by-case, homeowners who take the necessary proactive measures to protect their houses may be able to get insurance coverage from Mercury, despite being overlooked by other insurance providers based on their home’s location. People are more than just their zip codes, and I’m eager to help Mercury give homeowners the information and tools they can use to not only protect themselves and their properties, but hopefully get insurance coverage as well.”

Kent’s expert voice will be added to Mercury content advising homeowners on the steps they can take to mitigate their home’s risk of destruction in the event of a wildfire, including:

• A series of articles educating and informing homeowners about the importance of proper landscaping as a means of preparedness and protection;
• Wildfire landscaping FAQs;
• A public service announcement;
• And other digital wildfire preparedness techniques that will be featured here.

For more resources on wildfire preparedness, visit Mercury’s blog.

About Mercury Insurance

Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile, homeowners and commercial insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. Since 1962, Mercury has specialized in offering quality insurance at affordable prices. For more information visit www.mercuryinsurance.com or Facebook and follow the company on Twitter.

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