What’s New: In Brief (October 23, 2007)

A vehicle-tracking device manufactured by Boomerang Tracking Inc. has helped locate and recover more than 6,000 missing or stolen vehicles, representing a total value of approximately Cdn$300 million, according to a company release.
Members of the insurance industry have endorsed the Montreal-headquartered company, and some insurance companies are offering premium reductions for vehicles equipped with a Boomerang tracking device.
It is important that consumers understand the need to not only prevent theft from occurring in the first place, but make sure that their vehicle is able to be recovered quickly if it is stolen, Boomerang Tracking general manager Craig Armstrong said in a release. As thieves become increasingly sophisticated, consumers should keep a step ahead.

Wildfires in Southern California are continuing to spread and may have already destroyed nearly 1,000 properties, according to a statement by catastrophe modeler RMS.
The Witch fire that ripped through San Diego Country burned more than 145,000 acres of land, destroying 700 homes and business, RMS catastrophe response analyst Neena Saith said in the statement.
The weather conditions forecasted for the next 24 hours remain conducive to explosive fire spread, so the damage could be very severe unless the fires are quickly contained, Saith said, adding that while there are thousands of properties at risk, it is the Canyon fire that many insurers will be keeping a close eye on, as it threatens properties in Malibu worth millions of dollars.
Fifteen wildfires tore through the region in October 2003. The most destructive among them, the Cedar Fire in San Diego, burned more than 270,000 acres and damaged more than 4,900 homes, resulting in US$1.1 billion in insured losses, Saith said.