Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Western Region Could See Action on Disaster Mitigation, Independent Contractors, Workers’ Comp
Jan 7 2019 // Most eyeballs were on California during the midterm elections in November, with polar opposite candidates facing off in the race for governor as well as the office of insurance commissioner. As in most years, Democrats...
5 Lessons to Take Away from the California Wildfires
Jan 7 2019 // The California wildfires of 2018 were devastating, burning hundreds of thousands of acres, costing numerous lives and destroying thousands of properties. The California Department of Insurance in early December put the...
AM Best: Negative Rating Implications from Wildfires for California Capital and Subsidiaries
Jan 7 2019 // AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of California Capital Insurance Co. and its...
California Wildfires: Where Do We Go From Here?
Jan 2 2019 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. The last few months of 2018 were record-setting and heartbreaking for the survivors of wildfires in California. The Camp Fire in Butte County quickly became the most...
Prosecutors Say California Fires May Mean PG&E Violated Criminal Sentence
Jan 2 2019 // A California utility’s role in igniting wildfires last year could allow a judge to find that it violated terms of its criminal sentence in a 2010 gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people, federal prosecutors...
Lawyers Scramble to Get Piece of the Action in California Wildfire Lawsuits
Dec 31 2018 // In a conference room 13 miles from Paradise, California, Doug Boxer explains to survivors of the state’s worst wildfire why they should choose his law firm to sue PG&E Corp. He walks a fine line between listening...
Insurance Journal West’s Top Stories for 2018: California Commissioner Race, Hawaii Lava, Wildfire Losses
Dec 31 2018 // Another year down, and too many fascinating news headlines to count. Hawaii’s lava, the race for California insurance commissioner, and a $23 million ruling in a lawsuit against Geico were among the most popular...
Most Insurers to Increase Payments to California Wildfire Victims Without Itemization
Dec 28 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said this week that most insurers were following a notice he issued requesting that residential property insurers provide at least 75 percent and up to 100 percent of contents...
5 Lessons to Take Away from the California Wildfires
Dec 28 2018 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tv The California wildfires of 2018 were devastating, burning hundreds of thousands of acres, costing numerous lives and destroying thousands of properties. The California Department of...
A.M. Best: Negative Rating Implications from Wildfires for California Capital And Subsidiaries
Dec 21 2018 // AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of California Capital Insurance Co. and its...
Power Restored to Last of 10K Paradise Residents Hit by California Wildfire
Dec 21 2018 // A Northern California utility says it has restored power interrupted by a wildfire six weeks ago to all customers able to receive it. Pacific Gas & Electric said this week the last of about 10,000 residents of Paradise...
Assessing Wildfires’ Impact on P/C Insurers’ 2018 Results
Dec 20 2018 // Fitch Ratings said it expects the November wildfires in California to have some but not great impact on property/casualty insurers’ year-end results and it anticipates limited or no rating actions due to the fires....
Allstate’s Shares Fall Under Weight of Wildfire Losses
Dec 17 2018 // Allstate Corp. tumbled for nine straight days, the longest string of losses since 2001, as coverage costs from the deadliest fires in California’s history are tallied. The company seemed to have “out-sized...
Deadly California ‘Firenado’ Explained in New Study
Dec 17 2018 // A rare fire tornado that raged during this summer’s deadly Carr Fire in Northern California was created by a combination of scorching weather, erratic winds and an ice-topped cloud that towered miles into the...
Authorities: At Least $3B to Clear Debris from Homes Destroyed By California Wildfires
Dec 14 2018 // State and federal authorities estimate that it will cost at least $3 billion to clear debris from 19,000 homes and businesses destroyed by three California wildfires last month. The disaster relief officials said the...
California Regulators to Look at New Blackout Rules to Prevent Deadly Wildfires
Dec 14 2018 // California regulators have decided they need to step in and help determine when power blackouts are appropriate to prevent wildfires after a series of deadly blazes linked to electrical equipment. Utilities PG&E Corp.,...
California Commissioner Wants Insurers to Waive Inventory Requirement for Wildfire Victims
Dec 13 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is asking residential insurers to pay at least 75 percent and up to 100 percent of personal property or contents coverage in the event of a total loss without requiring...
Allstate Says Losses from California Fires $670M, CEO Wants to Address Climate Change
Dec 13 2018 // Allstate this week announced estimated catastrophe losses for the month of November 2018 of $685 million, pre-tax ($541 million, after-tax). Catastrophe losses occurring in November comprised six events at an estimated...
The PURE Group Expands Excess & Surplus Lines Offering Into California
Dec 13 2018 // The PURE Group has expanded its excess & surplus (E&S) high net worth offering, PURE Programs, into California. The coverage is tailored to high value, high-risk homes with broader coverage than is typically found...
Official Figure on Insured Losses for 2018 California Wildfires Reaches $9B
Dec 12 2018 // The official tally for insured losses from this year’s major California wildfires is $9.05 billion – for now. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Wednesday released official figures for losses from the...
