Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Will California’s FAIR Plan Have Enough Cash for Its Wildfire Claims?
Jan 16 2025 // There has been some question about whether California’s insurer of last resort – the FAIR Plan – has enough cash on hand to pay for its share of wildfire claims. As surplus is inadequate and reinsurance has a...
A Los Angeles Actuary on Lessons From the Palisades Fire
Jan 16 2025 // I watched as the skies over my home in Los Angeles turned an apocalyptic orange on January 7, 2025, as wildfires raged across the state. Among the most devastating, the Palisades Fire consumed thousands of acres, leaving a...
Fire-Ravaged LA to See Respite But Danger ‘Not Yet Passed’
Jan 16 2025 // The dry, dangerous winds that have kept fire-scarred Los Angeles on edge for days are finally forecast to end — but a lack of rain and another round of winds forecast next week has officials worried. “Things are...
Too High? Too Low? BMS Analyzes Early Wildfire Insured Loss Estimates
Jan 16 2025 // Industry analysts’ early estimates of insurance industry losses for the January 2025 California wildfires have already grown from $8 billion to $40 billion-plus—with many noting that it’s too early for...
Economists Say Los Angeles Fire to Have Limited National Economic Impact
Jan 16 2025 // Devastating fires in the Los Angeles area are likely to put modest pressure on the U.S. national economy in the near term but are unlikely to derail strong forward momentum, economists say. Forecasters reckon the...
Texas Lawmaker Sees California Fire Aid Tied to Conditions
Jan 14 2025 // As deadly wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles, a Republican congressman from Texas says federal lawmakers will consider tying relief funding for California to policy changes in the state. “California has some...
Update: LA Wildfire Insurance-Loss Estimates Approach $40 Billion
Jan 14 2025 // The cost of wildfires ravaging swaths of Los Angeles keeps rising, with new estimates of the total losses for the insurance industry now seen as high as $40 billion. The fresh figure Jan. 14 from Keefe Bruyette & Woods...
California Wildfires Wrapup: Aerial Assault Aims to Stem LA Palisades Fire Spread
Jan 11 2025 // LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills to stem the eastward spread of the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles on Saturday as on-the-ground firefighting intensified amid...
The Most Important LA Wildfire Stories to Know About
Jan 10 2025 // As firefighters gain more control over what have become the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history in a matter of days, the scale of the destruction and losses is becoming clearer. Despite the cacophony of a world...
Update: Re/Insurer Losses From LA Wildfires Expected to Be Significant but Manageable
Jan 10 2025 // Insurers are facing significant losses from the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires — given the high value of homes and businesses in the affected communities. However, those losses are likely to be manageable for...
Edison Denies LA Wildfire Involvement as Insurers Ask It to Preserve Evidence
Jan 10 2025 // Southern California Edison said on Thursday it had received notices from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire that is still burning in Los Angeles, but said no fire agencies have pointed the...
Insured Losses From Los Angeles Wildfires Rising: $8B to $20B
Jan 9 2025 // Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new AccuWeather total loss estimates. With aerial firefighting returning as strong Southern California winds died down for a bit, damage assessments from a handful of...
Oregon’s New Rules for Homeowners Living in Certain High-Risk Wildfire Areas
Jan 9 2025 // Oregon homeowners living in certain areas at high risk of wildfire will face stricter building codes and mandates to reduce vegetation on their properties under new “wildfire hazard maps” unveiled Tuesday. The...
California Wildfires Will Likely Lead to Large Economic and Insured Losses
Jan 8 2025 // Active wind-driven wildfires in Southern California that are estimated to have burned more than 1,000 properties and prompted evacuation orders for more than 80,000 residents will likely lead to what industry watchers say...
Thousands Flee From Uncontrolled Wildfires Burning Near Los Angeles
Jan 8 2025 // Millions of people in California face at least two more days of dry, hot winds that have fanned fires across Los Angeles County and sent residents fleeing for their lives. Hurricane-force wind gusts of as much as 86 miles...
Wildfire Smoke Health Risks Can Linger in Homes That Escape Burning
Jan 2 2025 // (THE CONVERSATION) On Dec. 30, 2021, a wind-driven wildfire raced through two communities just outside Boulder, Colorado. In the span of about eight hours, more than 1,000 homes and businesses burned. The fire left entire...
The War on Wildfires Is Going High-Tech
Dec 27 2024 // Last December, a farmer was burning dry grapevines in his vineyard in Deir Mar Moussa, a hill town a dozen miles east of Beirut known for its 18th century monastery and stands of pine forest. Usually this would be...
Oregon Lawmakers OK $218M in Emergency Wildfire Funding
Dec 17 2024 // Oregon lawmakers approved $218 million in emergency wildfire funds during special session that was convened to address unpaid bills stemming from the state’s 2024 record wildfire season. As wildfires still rage in...
Drones Offer an Unparalleled View of the Biggest Wildfire Risks
Dec 5 2024 // Spotting dead and downed trees that can fuel explosive fires is like searching for a needle in a haystack for forestry crews. Not so for drones, which can survey thousands of acres in a single afternoon, easily accessing...
Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?
Dec 5 2024 // Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she’s pressed for a safer electric grid in California. “It’s so easy to...
