Residents who live in the unincorporated parts of Lafayette Parish will be paying a  lot more for fire insurance. Based on recently released fire ratings some residents in the unincorporated parts of the parish could see their insurance rates rise as much as 20%.

The fire rating for residents in the city of Lafayette remained at a "2" which means there should be very little change in the way actuaries figure out insurance costs for residents within the city. However, the rural parts of the parish saw their fire rating rise from a "5" to a "6". That could be very costly to homeowners.

Government officials say the increase in the fire rating is because of recently rejected funding increases for fire departments that serve the rural parts of the parish. If there is a silver lining the fire rating will be locked in for the next five years unless changes are made to improve fire service funding.

Should the next five years pass with no changes in the way funding for fire departments who serve the rural areas are compensated that fire rating could actually go higher. Lafayette Consolidated Government officials say they are continuing to explore their options on the best way to fund fire protection and still be able to pay for it.

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