Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
An Underinsurance Lesson from the West Coast
Apr 4 2005 // In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California Wildfires of October 2003, claim adjusters went to work in an area where an estimated 3,631 structures were destroyed. In many cases the only remaining indication of...
Court Upholds Industry Lawsuit: CDI’s Homeowners Regulations Illegal
Apr 4 2005 // Charges by the California Department of Insurance that the California homeowners insurance industry arbitrarily nonrenews or raises rates on homeowners who file one claim or make an inquiry about their coverage is little...
Adjusters can Detect the Problem of Underinsurance Before Disaster Strikes
Apr 4 2005 // In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California wildfires of October 2003, claim adjusters went to work in an area where an estimated 3,631 structures were destroyed. In many cases the only remaining indication of...
2003-2004 California Year-End Legislative Repo
Jan 3 2005 // A summary of the most important legislation affecting the industry in the New Year The historic recall of Gray Davis and election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California set the tone for the 2004 legislative...
Looking Back on ’04: The Most Talked-About Stories in the Western Region
Dec 20 2004 // The year 2004 saw a little bit of everything across the Western Region. Workers’ comp, homeowners, med-mal, and even insurance fraud topped the list of the most talked about stories. We compiled these recaps based on...
Calif. Senator to Hold Hearing for Wildfire Victims to Voice Issues with Industry
Nov 10 2004 // Community Assisting Recovery, CARe, a nationally recognized non-profit disaster recovery assistance organization, announces that survivors of the 2003 California wildfires and their more fortunate neighbors will be able to...
Underinsured Homeowner Problem Revisited on Anniversary of Calif. Wildfires
Nov 8 2004 // Replacement cost, policy limits, and non-renewal of policies were the source of a heated debate in a day-long hearing investigating underinsured homeowners affected by last year’s wildfires. California Insurance...
Calif. Commissioner Stresses Importance of Home Inventory to Lessen Financial Strain in Wake of Disaster
Oct 26 2004 // Standing in a Pasadena resident’s home on the one-year anniversary of the 2003 Southern California Firestorms, Commissioner John Garamendi on Tuesday warned all California homeowners to conduct a home inventory as...
Calif. Commissioner Grills Insurers on Underinsured Homeowner Problem
Oct 22 2004 // Replacement cost, policy limits, and non-renewal of policies were the source of a heated debate in a day-long hearing investigating underinsured homeowners affected by last year’s wildfires. California Insurance...
Survey Says Nearly 8 in 10 Calif. Homeowners in Fire Danger Areas Think Wildfire Losses ‘Unlikely’
Oct 14 2004 // Seventy-eight percent of California homeowners living in identified fire danger areas believe that it is “somewhat” or “very” unlikely their home will be damaged or destroyed by a wildfire,...
ISO Study Reveals Calif. Brushfire Destruction in High-Risk Areas
Oct 5 2004 // With wildfires becoming a growing threat to homeowners and businesses in the western United States, insurers are increasingly relying on space age technology to help them identify these exposures as part of their...
Insurance Updates: A Critical and Personal Responsibility, Statewide Poll Finds
Sep 21 2004 // Californians overwhelmingly consider it their personal responsibility to keep their homeowners insurance current, but do not always place a high priority on updating their policies to meet their changing needs, a new poll...
Shasta County Declared Disaster after Wildfires
Aug 26 2004 // Shasta County, California was named a state disaster area Aug. 25 after wildfires swept through several communities there earlier this month. The fires burned 23,000 acres, destroying 106 homes and several historic...
Strategic Planning is Key to Wildfire Recovery
Aug 25 2004 // As the anniversary of the 2003 wildfires approaches, fire survivors may face deadlines for replacing possessions and for the additional living expenses provided by their home insurance coverage. A careful review of their...
Bracing for the Worst: Industry Prepares for Another Wildfire Season
Aug 23 2004 // The fire season started early this year. Wildfires erupted all over California and in Nevada in mid-July, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying several homes and outbuildings. Affected areas in California included...
Wildfire Victims Question Industry’s Cost Calculator
Jul 19 2004 // Don Robinson says his Residence Mutual insurance policy pegged the cost of replacing his San Diego home at $233,000. After Southern California’s wildfires destroyed the 40-year-old biologist’s four bedroom...
Wildfire Victims Question Industry’s Cost Calculator
Jul 12 2004 // Don Robinson says his Residence Mutual insurance policy pegged the cost of replacing his San Diego home at $233,000. After Southern California’s wildfires destroyed the 40-year-old biologist’s four-bedroom...
Could the California Wildfires Have Been Predicted’
Jun 7 2004 // Lessons for Agents and Insurers In late October 2003, major wildfires broke out in five southern California counties, burning more than 750,000 acres, or an area the size of Rhode Island. These devastating fires burned for...
Garamendi’s Homeowners’ Bill of Rights Moves Ahead
Jun 7 2004 // California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s “Homeowners’ Bill of Rights” package is continuing to move through the California State Legislature. The four main measures have all moved out of...
OCTOBER WILDFIRE SURVIVORS FILE CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST INSURANCE COMPANIES:
May 17 2004 // A class-action lawsuit was filed on May 5 against four major insurance companies who write homeowner’s insurance in California. The lawsuit filed against State Farm, Allstate, Farmers and Safeco alleges that the...
