Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
US Disaster Assistance OK’d for County After Oklahoma Wildfires
May 7 2018 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says home and business owners in Dewey County who sustained uninsured damage from wildfires can now receive disaster assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Fallin says the...
Strong Winds Fanning Fires, Dangerous Dust Storms in Midwest
May 1 2018 // A fire fueled by strong winds extensively damaged a grain elevator in Wisconsin’s Brown County. The fire broke out about 11:30 a.m. Sunday in Mina. Because of 40 to 45 mph winds, smaller fires caused by blowing,...
Judge Tentatively Rejects PG&E Bid to Set Aside Liability in California Fire
Apr 27 2018 // PG&E Corp. tentatively lost a bid to inoculate itself from a finding of liability in a 2015 fire, a court decision that deals the company a potentially more serious setback in its strategy to shield itself from deeper...
Bills Addressing Last Year’s California Wildfires Have Insurers Concerned
Apr 26 2018 // Insurance industry representatives said on Thursday they are working with the authors of pair of controversial bills approved by a committee in the California state Senate that are designed to give relief to victims of the...
California Bill Would Shield PG&E, Edison from Some Wildfire Liability
Apr 26 2018 // Utility giants PG&E Corp. and Edison International could gain at least some protection against future wildfire damages under a bill that’s advancing in California’s legislature. An amended bill being...
California Commissioner Doing Battle with Insurers over Wildfire Bills
Apr 25 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones appears to be poised for a fight with the insurance industry over a legislative package supports say will protect survivors of last year’s wildfires that struck in the...
Markets Not Getting Better at Insuring Disasters: Viewpoint
Apr 24 2018 // Last year was the second-costliest year for disasters since 1970, according to a new analysis from reinsurance firm Swiss Re AG. Global economic losses from these events reached $337 billion in 2017, behind only...
Sheriff: Arson a Possibility in Deadly Oklahoma Wildfire
Apr 23 2018 // Authorities are investigating the possibility of arson in connection with one of two large wildfires burning in Oklahoma, a blaze that’s resulted in the death of one person. Dewey County Sheriff Clay Sander said that...
Firefighters Hope Better Weather Will Aid Oklahoma Wildfire Fight
Apr 20 2018 // Firefighters are hoping higher humidity and milder winds will help them fight wildfires in Oklahoma, though conditions are critical in Arizona and New Mexico. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Todd Schroeder said on April 19...
California Wildfire Insurance Bills Moved Forward by Committee
Apr 19 2018 // A policy committee in California Legislature has unanimously approved a pair of wildfire-inspired bills by Assemblyman Marc Levine requiring insurance companies to notify homeowners whether their policies are sufficient to...
2 Killed in Oklahoma Wildfires, Threat Continues
Apr 17 2018 // Wildfires have killed two people and burned more than 400,000 acres in western Oklahoma, and dry, windy weather already hindering firefighting efforts there will only get worse as the week progresses, fire and forestry...
California Governor Suspends Mobile Home Regulations to Help Fire Victims
Apr 17 2018 // Gov. Jerry Brown has signed an executive order removing barriers to mobile home construction and placement in an effort to help residents displaced by the recent Southern California mudslides and wildfires. The order...
Dozens of Wildfires Burn Hundreds of Square Miles in Oklahoma, Texas
Apr 16 2018 // Strong winds are fueling more than two dozen wildfires burning across Oklahoma and Texas. Authorities say one blaze in western Oklahoma is estimated to be nearly 40 miles across at its widest point. Oklahoma Forestry...
Everest Re Expects Q1 Catastrophe Losses of $100M on Rising California Wildfire Claims
Apr 12 2018 // Everest Re Group Ltd. estimates it will incur $100 million of catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance recoverables and reinstatement premiums, in the first quarter of 2018, largely arising from the California wildfires and...
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas Facing Dual Threats: Tornadoes, Wildfires
Apr 9 2018 // Emergency officials in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas are bracing for two types of disasters as spring gets into full swing: The start of what’s historically the most active time of year for tornadoes plus wildfire...
Chubb $380M Q1 Cat Loss Estimate Includes California Wildfires, East Coast Storms
Apr 4 2018 // Chubb Limited released preliminary net loss estimates for the first quarter of 2018 attributable to natural catastrophes, including the California mudslides, of $380 million pre-tax, or $305 million after tax. Losses from...
Report: Orange County Agency Delayed Response to Destructive Wildfire
Apr 2 2018 // A Southern California fire agency is overhauling its procedures after a report found that missteps delayed response to a wildfire last fall that burned 15 homes. The Orange County Fire Authority announced on March 30 that...
Wildfires Cost Montana $240M In Visitor Spending, New Research Shows
Mar 28 2018 // University of Montana researchers say the 2017 fire season likely cost Montana about $240 million in visitor spending. The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research said Tuesday that 12.5 million out-of-staters visited...
California Chief Justice Expects an Influx of Wildfire Claims
Mar 23 2018 // California courts are preparing for an influx of lawsuits tied to last year’s historically destructive wildfires and mudslides, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye told lawmakers this week in her annual “state of...
Wildfires in Southeast Australia Destroy More Than 70 Homes, Kill Livestock
Mar 19 2018 // More than 70 homes were destroyed as bushfires swept through the seaside town of Tathra in southeastern Australia at the weekend. Soaring temperatures and wind gusts fanned the fires about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south...
