My grandparents had cable and one of those old cable boxes from the 80s with the wood grain. I found out if I stuck a letter opener in juuuust so.. unscramble all the things.
Go to the wedding. That is a really big deal. After that don't engage with him on politics. Maybe don't engage at all. Show up for birthdays and maybe a holiday or two. Do the 'quiet quitting' of family interaction. You aren't going to change their mind. I've been trying for 20+ years and it's just gotten worse.
Fires will happen, yes, they happen in cities too. San Bruno for example (hey that was PG&E too).
As long as you take the proper precautions (defensable space), fire retardant building materials, etc, the increased risks of living in a wooded area isn't that great. Certainly not as great as is reflected in the rate increases.
Current firefighting techniques allow fires to take their course in unpopulated areas. Since we are a fire safe community we all have defencable space. The son of the folks at the top of the hill is a wildfire fighter. We know the risks and minimize them. Hell a couple of Teslas burned up and the fire was contained. Due to their batteries it probably took longer to put out than anything that grows around here.
You pretend like insurance companies know best, and 'market forces' are these perfect righting forces. I call bullshit.
My father built the house in 1981. Everyone in the community has been paying insurance premiums for 40 fucking years and because PG&E didn't do necessary maintenance on their lines in paradise, the insurance companies have been pulling out.
He is still going to back down. Cowards always cower. Keep calling him out or you risk normalizing his bullshit.
He is a bully and we have to FIGHT BACK. Hit him where it hurts.