Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
What Additional Living Expense/Loss of Use Coverage Means to California Fire Victims
May 18 2009 // The skies are filled with smoke, and hundreds of homeowners were evacuated from their homes in Santa Barbara earlier in May. During November 2008’s Tea Fire, which occurred in roughly the same areas as this...
Santa Barbara Wildfire 95% Contained
May 15 2009 // A 8,733-acre fire that destroyed 80 homes and forced 30,500 people from their homes in Santa Barbara, Calif., was reported 95 percent contained on May 15. The last mandatory evacuation orders associated with the Jesusita...
Arizona Wildfire Budgets About the Same as Last Year
May 13 2009 // Not much may seem recession-proof these days, but budgets for preventing and fighting wildfires nationally and in Arizona have stayed largely the same for the past five years. That much is good news for firefighting...
Safety Measure May Have Sparked SoCal Wildfire
May 12 2009 // A wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes is 70 percent contained and firefighters are mopping up hot spots. Fire officials released updated figures, saying the 13-square-mile blaze had destroyed 77 homes, damaged 22...
Santa Barbara Wildfire Increase 448%, Insurers Ready for Calls
May 8 2009 // A wildfire that began on May 5 in Santa Barbara County, Calif., continues to burn, increasing 448 percent from 500 acres burned yesterday to 2,739 acres burned and at least 20 homes destroyed as of this morning, according...
Chubb Helps to Protect Homes from Santa Barbara Wildfire
May 8 2009 // As the wildfire in Santa Barbara, CA, expands in scope and intensity, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has stepped up measures to help protect its homeowners insurance customers’ properties. Earlier this week,...
2009 California, Washington Wildfire Activity Predicted To Be Above Normal
May 4 2009 // Northern California, where nearly a million acres burned last summer, is poised to possibly be another hotspot for wildfire activity in 2009, according to the Fire Season Outlook released by the Predictive Services group...
Insurance Claims from South Carolina Wildfire to Top $25 Million
Apr 29 2009 // Insurance companies expect claims from a South Carolina wildfire that has destroyed more than 70 homes near the coast to top $25 million. Allison Dean Love with the South Carolina Insurance News Service said the $25...
Myrtle Beach Property Owners Add Wildfire to Hurricane Risk
Apr 28 2009 // They flock from other states and climes to the coast known as the Grand Strand, first as tourists, and later as residents, captivated by ocean views, rolling green fairways and the relaxed lifestyle. Most knew that an...
Experts Predict Mild Alaska Wildfire Season
Apr 28 2009 // Fire forecasters for the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center are predicting a rather mild wildfire season this summer. However, Dave Curry, manager of the agency that coordinates firefighting efforts for the state,...
South Carolina Gov. Sanford Backs Cut in Wildfire Fighting Budget
Apr 27 2009 // South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is not backing down from his proposal to trim $1 million in state spending from wildfire fighting, even as damages mount in a fire near Myrtle Beach. Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said that...
Wildfire Burns Homes Near South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach
Apr 24 2009 // A coastal wildfire spread early Thursday toward one of the busiest tourist stretches in South Carolina, burning dozens of homes and forcing hundreds to flee in the middle of the night. No injuries were reported. Police...
California AIG Sylmar Wildfire Survivors To Receive Additional Coverage
Apr 22 2009 // The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has secured between $37 million and $46 million in additional coverage from AIG for Sayre Fire survivors in Sylmar. Commissioner Poizner was joined by Los Angeles City...
Oklahoma Wildfire Damage Estimates Increased to $30M
Apr 20 2009 // An Oklahoma insurance official says insured losses from recent wildfires that destroyed more than 100 structures in Oklahoma are expected to reach $30 million. Assistant Insurance Commissioner Marc Young says that figure...
The Weather Goblins
Apr 20 2009 // Who let the weather goblins out? Tornadoes, wildfires and floods, oh my! With all the weather related disasters out in full force this (and seemingly every) spring, there should be some kind of scary, Halloween-type...
Declarations
Apr 20 2009 // A Devastating Experience “Losing everything is an unimaginable and devastating experience. … Oklahoma’s professional agents and adjusters are poised to respond.” —Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner...
The Weather Goblins
Apr 20 2009 // Who let the weather goblins out? Tornadoes, wildfires and floods, oh my! With all the weather related disasters out in full force this (and seemingly every) spring, there should be some kind of scary, Halloween-type...
Arizona’s Wildfire Season Poses Risks for Homeowners
Apr 20 2009 // As the drought in the Southwest worsens, the wildfire season in Arizona grows longer, burning more acreage and threatening private property in forested areas. “The Arizona State Forestry Division estimates more than...
Governor Requests Emergency Declaration for 199 Texas Counties
Apr 14 2009 // Texas Governor Rick Perry has requested FEMA to issue an emergency declaration for 199 Texas counties based on the threat of wildfires. Perry also has authorized additional state resources to combat the ongoing wildfires...
Oklahoma Commissioner Declares Emergency After Wildfires
Apr 13 2009 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has declared a state of emergency to allow insurance companies to more rapidly respond to the recent Oklahoma wildfires. The declaration enables emergency adjusters to be...
