Latest Wildfire Headlines

All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Safeco Estimates Calif. Wildfire Losses at $35 Million

Nov 12 2007 // Seattle-based Safeco is estimating that claims stemming from the recent California wildfires will amountto $35 million in pretax catastrophe losses. That figure represents the estimated losses both from claims received...

More than 500 Insurance Adjusters to Assist Calif. Wildfire Victims

Nov 9 2007 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today announced that as of Thursday, 502 emergency insurance adjusters had been registered with the Department of Insurance to expedite the processing of insurance claims for...

Firefighters Warn of Continued Wildfire Threat in California

Nov 8 2007 // Rapid development in wildfire-prone areas and continued bone-dry weather have alarmed California firefighters, who began a sweeping assessment of fire danger this week and what’s needed to meet it. Catastrophic...

Fireman’s Fund Offers to Rebuild Wildfire Homes “Green”

Nov 7 2007 // In response to the Southern California wildfires that burned in late October, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is responding with an innovative green upgrade for affected policyholders. The company said it will rebuild...

NOAA, USGS Warning System To Alert Californians of Flash Floods

Nov 7 2007 // A debris flow and flash flood warning system developed jointly by NOAA’s National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey will help protect Southern Californians from potentially devastating debris flows —...

Insurers Used Variety of Resources to Reach Out to Fire Victims

Nov 4 2007 // In the midst of the blazing wildfires that overwhelmed seven Southern California counties in October, insurance companies sprung into action. Most said they had learned from past catastrophes and that preparation was key...

Wildfire Woes

Nov 4 2007 // When catastrophes strike, the insurance industry often suffers. In addition to suffering financial losses from having to manage claims, those in the industry also seem to suffer in the public’s eye. Mainstream media...

Climate Change May Increase Wildfires in Great Basin

Nov 4 2007 // Climate change is likely to increase the number of wildfires fueled by invasive weeds that are spreading throughout the Great Basin, researchers recently told a U.S. Senate subcommittee. Researchers described a potential...

Five Tips in Dealing with Wildfire Losses

Nov 4 2007 // Here we go again: another disaster, another insurance test. Will Southern Californians whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged by wildfires fare better with their insurance providers than Katrina’s...

News Currents

Nov 4 2007 // Calif. DOI partners with CAL FIRE to prevent fire losses A helicopter moves in close to wildfire flames to make a water drop over the Del Dios neighborhood of Escondido, Calif. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy). Just days before...

10 Calif. DOI partners with CAL FIRE

Nov 4 2007 // Groups aim to prevent fire losses during height of wildfire season 10 Hawaii approves 19.3% workers’ comp decrease NCCI recommended 16.8 percent drop 10 Calif. approves AAA’s 6.5% auto rate reduction Carrier...

Major California Wildfires

Nov 4 2007 // Oakland Hills Oct. 1991 2,900 $1.7 billion Cedar Fire Oct. 2003 2,200 $1.06 billion Old Fire Oct. 2003 1,100 $975 million Laguna Oct. 1993 441 $350 million Topanga-Malibu Nov. 1993 323 $375 million Santa Barbara June...

News Currents

Nov 4 2007 // Catastrophic wildfires sweep across Southern California Industry estimates insured losses at more than $1.5 billion and rising Insured losses are continuing to accumulate from Southern California wildfires that burned in...

States under cover

Nov 4 2007 // Natural catastrophes — and the affordability and availability of property insurance in disaster-prone areas — have been on center stage in coastal states from the Northeast to the Gulf Coast. This fall, the...

Calif. Wildfire Claims Up To About 14,000

Oct 31 2007 // Roughly 14,000 insurance claims have been filed as a result of last week’s fire and wind storms, according to the Insurance Information Network of California. Working in partnership with the Insurance Information...

Fires Over, But Calif. Should Assess Flood Risks

Oct 30 2007 // Trusted Choice agents, along with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) and IBA West, have teamed up to aid California residents in need in the aftermath of the devastating...

Avocado Crops Hard Hit by Wildfires

Oct 30 2007 // Wind-driven wildfires that torched Southern California have charred fruit orchards, wilted flowers and littered the ground with avocados, delivering a devastating blow to area farmers already reeling from a deep winter...

Analyst: Wildfire Losses Estimated To Be At Least $1.5 Billion

Oct 29 2007 // Using the latest information on current and forecast fire perimeters and observed wind speeds, catastrophe risk modeling company AIR Worldwide Corp. estimates insured losses from California wildfires will be at least 1.5...

Assessing and managing wildfire risk

Oct 27 2007 // This summer, much of the western United States was in flames. Wildfires spurred by above-normal spring and summer temperatures, and one of the worst droughts in decades charred several million acres across the 11 western...

Insurers Rebut Claims Policies Will Be Cancelled Due to Wildfires

Oct 26 2007 // Insurance industry associations in California are hoping to quell concerns stirred up they say by the media and politicians that indicate homeowners’ policies would be cancelled because of the wildfires. The...