The cellphone began buzzing before dawn. Becca Rutledge looked outside and saw the orange glow of the Woolsey fire as it roared toward her family’s Airbnb rental home in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Across California, thousands of short-term Airbnb rentals operate in the state’s most hazardous fire zones, but the company does not provide warnings or evacuation information to guests when they make a reservation, a Los Angeles Times analysis has found. Some customers insist the company’s refund policy adds to the potential dangers.Toothbrush, socks, charger — check.
During natural disasters, the San Francisco-based company sends emergency notices to potentially affected hosts and guests, pointing them to local government websites for guidance, she said. Fusco said Airbnb offered refunds for two months to customers affected by the Caldor fire who were covered by its “extenuating circumstances”, which allows for cancellations when unforeseen events including natural disasters arise after booking.
The vacation home rental ordinance in El Dorado County doesn’t address whether renters should be told that they are staying in a high fire hazard area or that they be informed of evacuation routes. These same rules apply to hotels and motels, according to a county spokeswoman. After the Woolsey fire destroyed more than 1,600 structures, the Malibu City Council adopted stricter regulations on short-term rentals, city officials said. Hosts are now required to post a code of conduct in rental units telling guests the city is located entirely within the highest fire hazard area. It also tells renters which evacuation zone the property is in, and lists a city website that provides evacuation information.
Four days before his trip, the Caldor fire erupted along the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River, roughly 50 miles away from the rental property.We’re offering L.A. Times subscribers first access to our best journalism. Thank you for your support.Although the massive wildfire would remain more than 20 miles away from Edwards’ cabin and the opposite side of Lake Tahoe, the skies still turned hazy and orange, with smoke obscuring the view of Tahoe’s famously clear waters.
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