Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Reno Fire Department Says Wildfire Destroyed 5 Homes, Damaged 24
Nov 20 2020 // Authorities now say five homes were destroyed and 26 damaged by a wind-driven wildfire that roared through a Reno, Nev., neighborhood. Of the homes damaged Tuesday, three were heavily damaged and 21 had minor damage due to...
Several Northern California Agencies Suing PG&E Over 2019 Wildfire
Nov 19 2020 // Sonoma County and several Northern California agencies sued Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Tuesday over damage caused by a wildfire that burned a large swath of land last year and caused nearly 100,000 people to...
State Farm Fire Prevention Pilot Tests Sensors That Detect Electrical Wiring Defects
Nov 17 2020 // State Farm is sending sensors that can detect hazards in electric wiring to 40,000 homeowners in California, Arizona and Texas as part of a pilot project that will measure potential savings and customer acceptance. Mike...
Declarations
Nov 16 2020 // Kansas Crop Risk “Kansas is having a relatively larger increase in crop risk as a response to a one-degree Celsius warming, compared to the other parts of the country.” — Jisang Yu, assistant professor of...
California’s Wine Country Adapting to Annual Wildfire Threat
Nov 13 2020 // Harvest season in Northern California’s wine country is what dream weddings are made of: ripe grapevines and golden sunsets provide ceremonies an alluring backdrop that every year draws millions of visitors. But...
California Issues Moratorium on Insurers Non-Renewing or Cancelling Following Wildfires
Nov 5 2020 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday announced a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing or cancelling residential property insurance policies, a move he says is aimed at...
Despite Challenges, New Year Will Bring Strong, Stable Industry: Hartwig
Nov 4 2020 // Despite a year of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty and a halting global economic recovery, the insurance industry remains strong, stable, sound and secure. Though below pre-COVID forecasts, major indicators point...
California Pledges to Protect Homeowners from Insurer Withdrawals Due to Wildfires
Nov 2 2020 // California’s insurance commissioner in late October pledged to step up efforts to protect the state’s residents from wildfires and address a pullback of private insurers from the state’s riskiest...
Scientists Want New Framework for Understanding California Wildfire Costs, Risks
Oct 29 2020 // A new report out shows challenges current fire management policies in California, proposes a new framework for understanding the total cost of wildfire in the state and suggests that health impacts from smoke my represent...
Utility in California Slow to Pull Plug Before Wildfire Erupted
Oct 29 2020 // Correction: In an earlier version of this story, the Associated Press misspelled the last name of Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy. Facing extreme wildfire conditions this week that included...
Correction: Southern California Edison Says Equipment May Have Sparked Wildfire
Oct 28 2020 // Southern California Edison said its equipment may have sparked a fast-moving wildfire that forced evacuation orders for some 100,000 people and seriously injured two firefighters on Monday as powerful winds across the...
Winds Fanned California Fires and Kept Thousands of Evacuees Away
Oct 27 2020 // Crews tried to beat back two out-of-control wildfires in Southern California on Tuesday that have kept tens of thousands of people out of their homes. Fierce winds that drove twin fires through brushy hills near cities in...
Washington Developing Wildfire Smoke Worker-Safety Rules
Oct 23 2020 // The Washington Department of Labor & Industries is developing new workplace safety and health rules regarding wildfire smoke. The L&I announced the move this week in response to an increasing number of acres burned...
Monitor: PG&E in California Prioritized Targets Over Reducing Wildfire Risk
Oct 22 2020 // PG&E Corp. prioritized meeting inspection targets over meaningful reduction of wildfire risk, according to a monitor overseeing the utility’s program of trimming trees and vegetation that pose a threat of...
California Could See More Fire-Prevention Power Shutoffs
Oct 21 2020 // Electricity may be shut off to 50,000 Northern California utility customers this week to try to prevent power lines from sparking and igniting new wildfires during a predicted new round of gusty, hot and dry...
New Mercury Insurance Programs Target California Homeowners’ Wildfire Risk
Oct 21 2020 // Mercury Insurance has launched two new programs designed to help Californians better protect their homes and families if they live in areas prone to wildfires. Homeowners who take one or more steps to either harden their...
Travelers Reports Strong 3Q with Profit More Than Doubling
Oct 20 2020 // The Travelers Companies had a strong third quarter, reporting net income grew to $827 million, up from $396 million in the prior year quarter. An increase in the quarter’s core income to $798 million compared to $378...
California Pledges to Protect Homeowners from Insurer Withdrawals Due to Wildfires
Oct 19 2020 // California’s insurance commissioner on Monday pledged to step up efforts to protect the state’s residents from wildfires and address a pullback of private insurers from the state’s riskiest...
Oregon Issues Wildfire Emergency Order and Bulletin for Insurers
Oct 19 2020 // The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Division of Financial Regulation has issued a new wildfire emergency order. The order took effect after the current emergency order expired on Oct. 18. The...
California Commissioner Asks Insurers to Cover Wildfire Losses Sans Home Inventory
Oct 19 2020 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is asking insurers to help wildfire survivors by providing up to 100% of personal property coverage limits without a detailed inventory to those who suffered a total loss of...
