Insurance Agent: Fire should be reminder

PULASKI - As Brown County Fire Investigators, Wisconsin State Fire Marshals and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pick through the rubble of the downtown Pulaski Fire looking for the cause, insurance agent Doug Prentice said Friday's downtown fire should be a reminder to everyone.

Prentice said the public should know that insurance, like renters or actual replacement insurance is never a bad investment - even if you never have to use it.

"You just pray that everybody had the proper amount they needed," said Prentice.

But for those that might say it's easy for Prentice to say that, looking from the outside, in, you may just want to step into his office.

"I wish the camera could smell what it smells like," Prentice said.

Of the five buildings affected by Friday's fire, Prentice's is number four.

"They said up to seven buildings might be affected, and I said, 'That's my building, right in there,'? said Prentice.

Inside his office, the floor is covered in a slippery mixture of water, foam and soot. The acrid smell of smoke is overwhelming as you first walk in.

Furniture and office plants are turned on their sides; the sound of dripping water is coming from all directions.

Prentice was allowed in to grab just a few things, like a server and computer he needs for his business.

He said the next couple days will be a waiting game. He shares a wall with the consignment store that was declared a total loss in the fire.

So, as the demolition of that building goes forward, he hopes the shared wall doesn't come down.

But if it does, he has options.

After purchasing his building in 2008, he decided to buy actual replacement insurance ? insurance to replace a building or structure ? for about 50 bucks a month. He also has business insurance. So either way, he said he's covered.

Prentice added he understands in a tough economy extra cash is hard to come by and insurance will never replace what was lost. But he says it's reassuring to know you're insured.

"I can see why people don't always buy that extra insurance for actual replacement. I'm very thankful that I have, especially when I heard our downtown was on fire," said Prentice.

Right now, other than Prentice, it's unknown whether the other building owners or renters had insurance to cover their losses.

Officials said they still haven't found the origin of the fire, and there's no official damage total for the five buildings.

But according to the most recent tax assessments, their combined market value is around $500,000.

Source: http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/insurance-agent%3A-fire-should-be-reminder

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