Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Australia Breaks Records for High Temperatures, Low Rainfall as Wildfires Keep Raging
Jan 2 2020 // As massive wildfires devastate swathes of Australia and supercharge the debate over the impact of climate change, government data show the nation has never suffered a hotter or drier year than 2019. The average temperature...
Insurance Journal’s Top 10 West Region Stories of 2019
Jan 2 2020 // California wildfires dominated the news in Insurance Journal’s Western region in 2019, despite it being a quiet year relative to two consecutive years of deadly blazes that came before. Three of the year’s top...
Australia’s Wildfire Crisis Intensifies as Locals, Tourists Seek Refuge on Beaches
Dec 31 2019 // Australia’s wildfire crisis intensified on Tuesday as coastal towns across the southeast caught ablaze, forcing thousands of stranded tourists and locals to seek refuge on beaches. Thick black smoke billowing from...
Thousands of Tourists Evacuated as Wildfires Sweep Through Southeast Australia
Dec 30 2019 // Thousands of holiday-makers have evacuated a popular tourist spot in southeast Australia as a heatwave and strong winds fuel wildfires sweeping through the region. But with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius (104...
PG&E Creditors Sweet Offer to California Wildfire Victims With $13.5 Billion Upfront
Dec 22 2019 // PG&E Corp.’s creditors have sweetened their offer to California wildfire victims, saying they are now prepared to pay $13.5 billion in cash upfront, according to a letter sent on Friday to state governor Gavin...
Insurance Protections Expanded in California Wildfire Areas
Dec 20 2019 // More than a million California homes are now protected under a new state order that temporarily bans insurance companies from dropping customers in areas affected by recent wildfires, officials announced this...
2018 California Wildfires – An Actuarial Review
Dec 19 2019 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. 2018 was another catastrophic year for wildfires across the United States. Nearly 9 million acres burned, and many lives, homes and businesses were lost. California...
Bankruptcy Judge Approves $13.5B PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims
Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved on Tuesday PG&E Corp.’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of Californian wildfires, and the company’s stock rallied as the utility gained momentum to emerge from...
California and PG&E Reach $1.7B Deal on Wildfire Penalties
Dec 17 2019 // California utility regulators have reached a settlement with PG&E Corp. over violations tied to catastrophic wildfires ignited by the company’s power lines in 2017 and 2018. The proposed settlement would prevent...
PG&E Takes California Governor out of $13.5B Wildfire Deal
Dec 17 2019 // Bankrupt utility giant PG&E Corp. has removed a requirement that California Gov. Gavin Newsom sign off on its settlement with wildfire victims, trying to buy more time for its restructuring plan. PG&E reached an...
Boat Safety Law Proposed in Wake of California Fire That Killed 34
Dec 16 2019 // A group of California congressional members have proposed tighter safety standards for small boats after a diving charter vessel burned and sank in September, killing 34 people. Only five people – the captain and four...
As California Thins Forests to Limit Wildfire Risk, Some Resist
Dec 16 2019 // Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. Their goal: To protect...
Jupiter Receives $1M Grant to Accelerate California Fire Control Efforts
Dec 16 2019 // Predictive data and analytics firm Jupiter has received a $1 million grant from the Moore Foundation to accelerate deployment of its FireScore Operations service, a wildfire threat and intelligence platform to make it...
California Governor Rejects PG&E Bankruptcy Plan as Not Satisfying Wildfire Law
Dec 15 2019 // California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected a bankruptcy reorganization plan submitted by PG&E Corp, the state’s largest investor-owned utility, saying its proposal fails to meet the requirements of a...
FAIR Plan Asks Court to Stop California Insurance Commissioner’s Order
Dec 13 2019 // Note: This is been updated with a statement from Lara’s office. The FAIR Plan today filed a petition for a writ of mandate seeking to have a court annul, vacate, or withdraw an order issued last month by the...
PG&E Gains on $13.5B Settlement With California Wildfire Victims
Dec 9 2019 // PG&E Corp. surged on the strength of a Friday announcement it had secured a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of wildfires ignited by its power lines, a step toward resolving the biggest utility bankruptcy in U.S....
Industry Representative Puts Fire Insurance Availability at Feet of Commissioner
Dec 6 2019 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will have to choose whether he wants insurers to charge higher rates or to stop writing homeowners insurance in fire-prone areas, an industry representative said following new...
California Commissioner Calls for Statewide Non-Renewal Moratorium, More Measures to Protect Wildfire Victims
Dec 5 2019 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing policyholders, a move he says will help at least 800,000 homes in wildfire disaster...
PG&E Nearing $13.5B Deal With California Wildfire Victims
Dec 5 2019 // Bankrupt California power producer PG&E Corp. is close to finalizing terms for a $13.5 billion payout to victims of wildfires triggered by its power lines, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with...
Factors that Contribute to Prolonged Recovery after California Wildfires
Dec 4 2019 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. As strong winds further exasperate the prime weather conditions for wildfires in California, efforts to save lives and property are a foremost priority of emergency...
