An East County fire district has been added to a state wildfire risk-reduction list that could help some homeowners seek relief on insurance bills, according to ABC 10News.

The San Miguel Fire Protection District, which covers Crest, Spring Valley and Rancho San Diego, was added to California’s Fire Risk Reduction Community list as of July 1. The designation lasts two years and requires insurers to take the reduced wildfire risk into account, the station reported.

Fire Marshal Jon Newman told ABC 10News the district qualified through community outreach, weed abatement, brush management and wildfire protection planning. The designation is especially meaningful in Crest, where nearly 300 homes were destroyed in the 2003 Cedar Fire.

The immediate impact is limited to homeowners in the San Miguel district, but the issue is familiar across East County. Santee residents in and near wildland-urban areas face many of the same insurance pressures, and the designation shows how documented fire-prevention work can become part of the insurance conversation.

Residents should contact their insurer directly to ask whether local fire-risk reduction work qualifies for any policy review or discount. Source: ABC 10News.