Cigarette Sparked Fire on Boston Rooftop

Investigators have concluded that a carelessly discarded cigarette is the cause of a rooftop fire that caused a million dollars in damage at a Beacon Street brownstone on Monday night.

The Boston Fire Department reports that a flower pot was being used as an ashtray on the roofdeck of the six-story building. Flames damaged the roof and the top floor of the condo building.

There were no injuries reported and damages are estimated to be equal to one million dollars at this time.

Spring Cleaning - Inventory App Style

Spring is here - or at least it's supposed to be, which for many means it's time to break out the dust cloths and brooms and begin spring cleaning.

But before you start running around wiping away the dust, consider for a moment, just how much stuff you own. What if you had to write down every single thing that you own? Doesn't sound fun, right? Well if you think you own too much stuff to record, think about just how much all that stuff costs! Are you confident you have the appropriate amount of condo unit owner's or renter's insurance to cover your belongings should something happen? Better yet, do you have all of your belongings recorded in an inventory somewhere so that if something did happen you'd have records to show your insurance agent?

This can be overwhelming, we know. But thanks to technology, the process of recording an inventory of your belongings has become less time consuming. There are a plethora of mobile apps available that can store information about your belongings - prices, receipts, even images! If a fire or other disaster were to destroy you belongings and you didn't have an inventory of them, it can be quite a challenge attempting to remember everything that you owned!

Spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of one of these apps and really understand just how much you own and the proper amount of insurance protection you need.

Here are just a few examples of mobile apps that can help you accomplish this:

• MyStuff 2 Lite - Available for iOS
• Visual Inventory - Available for iOS
• MyHome Lite - Available for Android
• Inventory Buddy - Available for iOS
• Home Inventory Photo Remote - Available for iOS and on desktops
• Know Your Stuff Home Inventory (Built by the Insurance Information Institute) - Available for iOS and Android

Start with a plan. Begin by recording either by category, or by room, and work little-by-little. Soon you'll have an inventory of all of your assets and can rest assured that you have the proper insurance coverage and should have no issues if you ever experience a claim.

Winter Driving Tips

With yet another winter storm upon us for this weekend, Brownstone thought it would be helpful to go over some winter driving tips to help keep you safe during less-than-ideal road conditions.

Of course, the best advice during bad weather is to not drive at all if you can help it. Waiting until after the snow plows and sand trucks have had an opportunity to do their job is the safe thing to do.

Of course, there are situations where one must drive in stormy conditions, so it's helpful to know these tips should you ever find yourself driving during a storm.

Driving on Icy or Snowy Roads

• Drive well below the speed limit and leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you.
• Brake gently and slowly to avoid skidding.
• Keep lights on to increase visibility to passing motorists.
• Never use cruise control on icy roads.
• Bridges, overpasses and on and off ramps require careful driving.
• Do not pass snow plows or sand trucks. These drivers have limited visibility and the road ahead of them is likely far worse than being stuck behind them.
• Don't assume your vehicle or your driving skills can handle all road conditions. Even trucks can get stuck on winter roads.

What to Do if You Skid

• Take your foot off the gas.
• Steer in the direction that your rear wheels are going. If they are skidding left, steer left. If they are skidding right, steer right. You may have to steer left and right a few times before recovering fully.
• If you have standard breaks, pump them gently.
• If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump them. Apply steady pressure. You will feel the brakes pulse as they regain control, but this is normal.

What to Do if You Get Stuck

• Do not spin your wheels. This just digs your car in deeper.
• Turning your wheels from side to side can help move snow away from your tires.
• Gently press the gas to try and ease your car out of the spot.
• If this fails, use a shovel to clear snow away from tires and the underside of the car.
• Pouring sand, kitty litter, gravel or ice melt in the path of your tires can help them gain traction.

The Benefits of Bundling your Insurance

You've seen the commercials. "Bundling your insurance can save you 15% or more!" And while there is some truth to that since some carriers do offer discounted premiums for carrying multiple lines of your insurance, another huge advantage is simply being able to talk to one client advisor for all your insurance needs.

Wouldn't it be more efficient to speak with one client advisor regarding your insurance? Trusting one individual to advise you which insurance coverages you would benefit from is a lot more effective than dealing with several different people who represent a slew of carriers. And by the way, while other agencies employ Account Managers, our team members are known as Client Advisors because it's the client that is important to us, not the account, and we advise our valued clients, not manage them.

This is one of the advantages of Brownstone Insurance. While Brownstone offers unparalleled master insurance protection, our personal lines department compliments that coverage with everything from condo unit owner's insurance to renter's and auto policies.

Contact Brownstone to begin the process of bundling your policies with us and discover true customer service. We're available via Live Chat, email or phone at (617) 236-6400.

In Case of Emergency...

Understandably, our first reaction after a disaster strikes is to call family and friends. So it makes sense that cell networks can become overloaded in the minutes and hours following a disaster, making it painstakingly difficult, and sometimes impossible, to reach loved ones by phone. Here are 10 tips that can increase your odds of reaching those who matter most during trying times:

1. If you have a landline, keep a corded phone in your home. They will continue to work even if you lose power.
2. Keep a list of emergency contacts in your cell phone and written down near your home phone.
3. Always program an "ICE" number in your cell phone. Emergency responders know to look under ICE, or In Case of Emergency, should they need to use your phone to contact someone.
4. Designate one out-of-town family member or family friend as the emergency contact for your family. It's often easier to reach non-local numbers following a disaster.
5. Keep a backup battery for your cell phone fully charged and be sure to have a car charger handy.
6. Subscribe to your local city or town's emergency services, such as reverse 911.
7. Using text messaging or social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to communicate following a tragedy can sometimes be easier, as they are less likely to cause network congestion.
8. Keep phone calls brief to avoid network congestion for other folks trying to reach family and friends.
9. Conserve cell battery by reducing screen brightness or backlighting and closing apps and programs not in use.
10. Call 911 only in the instance of a life-threatening emergency.