Latest Wildfire Headlines

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

California Commissioner Asks Insurers to Expedite Claims to Aid Wildfire Victims

Oct 15 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones over the weekend issued a notice to insurers asking them to agree to expedited claims handling procedures for wildfire damage claims to help fire victims more quickly. Several...

House Approves $36.5B Disaster Aid with Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance Funds

Oct 12 2017 // The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved $36.5 billion in emergency relief for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico and other areas that have suffered recent disasters. In addition to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico,...

Losses from California Wildfires Could Reach up to $6 Billion, Experts Say

Oct 12 2017 // This story has been updated with the latest estimates on fire losses. The wildfires raging in California are shaping up to become an infamous if not historic event. The fires have destroyed 3,500 structures and counting,...

Drought-Ending Rain Built up Fuel to Feed Deadly California Fires

Oct 12 2017 // There’s a dark side to the torrent of precipitation that ended California’s long drought earlier this year: Rain and snow pumped life back into bushes, shrubs and grasses and created ideal fuel for...

California Fires Pose Grave Risk to Marijuana Growers

Oct 12 2017 // For many businesses in northern California, it will take years to rebuild from the wildfires that have decimated the region. For many legal cannabis growers, the destruction could be insurmountable. At least six marijuana...

$36.5 Billion House Disaster Aid Bill Includes Funds for Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance

Oct 12 2017 // House lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday night that would provide $36.5 billion in emergency funding for hurricane and wildfire relief requested by the Trump administration. With Congress under pressure to provide urgent...

Cal Fire: California Wildfires Have Destroyed 3,500 Structures, Killed 17

Oct 11 2017 // Cal Fire is reporting that 17 people are confirmed to have died in the wildfires throughout the state this week and that at least 3,500 homes and commercial structures have been destroyed by the fast-moving...

California’s $58B Wine Industry Hit by Wildfires

Oct 11 2017 // The fires ravaging Northern California stand to leave the area’s renowned wine industry with damage that will be felt long after the final flames burn out. At least four Napa Valley vineyards have been destroyed or...

California Wildfires Are a ‘Larger Scale Disaster’

Oct 10 2017 // Active wildfires in California have burned an estimated 1,500 homes and commercial structures, scorched more than 115,000 acres and reportedly killed 15 people. Insurers and others who access damage are only beginning to...

Wildfires Ravage California’s Iconic Wine Country Region

Oct 10 2017 // Wildfires that tore through northern California’s iconic wine-growing regions have prompted evacuations of more than 20,000 people, killed 11 and damaged some of the most valuable vineyards and wineries in the...

Northern California Wildfires Burn Wine Country Homes, Force Evacuations

Oct 9 2017 // Firefighters battled roughly 10 wind-whipped fires across Northern California’s wine country early Monday, triggering a rush by residents to flee the area. Mandatory evacuations were ordered after blazes broke out...

Progress Made on California Central Coast Wildfires

Oct 2 2017 // Firefighters made progress on trio of wildfires on California’s Central Coast. Santa Barbara County fire spokesman Mike Eliason said that a marine layer of cooler, wetter air helped fire crews contain 60 percent of...

Cost of Fighting Montana Wildfires Approach $400M

Oct 2 2017 // The cost of fighting wildfires in Montana is approaching $400 million at the tail end of the state’s worst wildfire season in two decades. To date, wildfires have burned almost 1,900 square miles, slightly more than...

California Commissioner High on Marijuana Insurance, Sums up Trump Battle

Oct 2 2017 // It’s David vs. Goliath. That about sums up California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ feelings on his efforts to keep the remnants of Obamacare up and running in his state while President Trump does his best...

Climate Researchers Warn of Hotter Summers, More Wildfires, in Southern Europe

Sep 29 2017 // Climate researchers are warning that Europeans should prepare for the return of “Lucifer,” saying the hellishly named heat wave that hit parts of the continent this summer could become a regular occurrence due...

2 Wildfires In Northern California Destroy or Damage Multiple Homes

Sep 25 2017 // Authorities say multiple homes and other structures have been destroyed or damaged in two wildfires that broke out over the weekend in Northern California. Fire officials in Auburn northeast of Sacramento said flames that...

How Home Values Track with High, Low Risk of Natural Hazards: ATTOM Data

Sep 22 2017 // Americans are still buying homes in areas with high risk of natural hazards and the homes in those cities continue to appreciate in value far faster than homes in low natural hazard locales. However, the effect on home...

California Commissioner Sums up Trump Battle, High on Cannabis Insurance

Sep 19 2017 // It’s David vs. Goliath. That about sums up California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ feelings on his efforts to keep the remnants of Obamacare up and running in his state while President Trump does his best...

Rain and Snow Help Montana Wildfires But Won’t End Season

Sep 19 2017 // Rain snow and cold have replaced heat and smoke after about two dry months on Montana’s fire lines, leaving crews scrambling for extra sleeping bags, heaters, coats and long underwear. While the change in weather is...

Western U.S. Wildfires Force Evacuations of Thousands

Sep 5 2017 // Wildfires forced thousands to flee their homes across the U.S. West during a sweltering, smoke-shrouded holiday weekend of record heat. The fires caused evacuations in Glacier National Park in Montana and many other parts...