For an explosion to be recoverable under a standard fire policy, it must be classified as what type of risk?

An explosion must be classified as an "extraneous risk" to be recoverable under a standard fire policy. This classification means that the explosion is not a normal or expected occurrence within the scope of the insured’s day-to-day operations or risks typically associated with the insured property.

In the context of insurance, extraneous risks are considered atypical and unexpected, allowing for coverage under property policies since they fall outside the normal parameters of the risks that the property is usually exposed to. The inclusion of such risks ensures that policyholders are protected from significant financial losses resulting from unforeseen events like explosions, which are not inherently part of or expected from typical fire risks.

The other classifications provided do not align with how the insurance policy views the coverage of explosions in this context. For instance, a natural disaster typically relates to events like floods or earthquakes, which are covered under different circumstances. Pre-existing conditions pertain more to items or situations that already existed before the policy took effect and would not generally affect coverage for an explosion. Lastly, external hazards might suggest risks from outside influences, but in this context, they do not encapsulate the specific nature of explosions as extraneous risks do. Thus, the correct classification that allows for recovery under a standard fire policy is that