California Wildfires News

WDIS Launches Wildfire Only Coverage for E&S Commercial Property in California

Wildfire Defense Insurance Services Inc. has launched wildfire only coverage for E&S commercial property in California. The product is available for a range of commercial property classes of business. The target class of business includes apartments, condo associations, warehouses, wineries …

California Approves FAIR Plan Request to Assess Insurers $1B for Wildfire Claims

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved a California FAIR Plan request for a $1 billion assessment on admitted market insurers to cover claims from the Los Angeles wildfires. The FAIR Plan reported it has paid more than $914 million to …

Travelers Expecting $1.7 Billion in Catastrophe Losses From LA Wildfires

Another major California insurer is reporting losses in excess of $1 billion from the Los Angeles area wildfires. The Travelers Companies Inc. announced Tuesday it will lose an estimated $1.7 billion from last month’s wildfires, which swept through the region …

Newsom Wants to Speed up Delayed Rule to Make California Homes More Fire Resistant

As Los Angeles reels from deadly January wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an order last week directing the state to advance long-delayed regulations requiring homeowners in high-risk areas to clear combustible materials around their …

Viewpoint: How Will the California FAIR Plan Fare? What’s Next for Independent Agents?

If there is a single bright spot to be found in the aftermath of the costliest wildfire in California’s history, it is that both the property/casualty insurance industry and the independent agents who serve as its personal point of contact …

Startup Accused of Gouging LA Fire Victims on Rent

A venture capital-backed startup illegally jacked up rents for furnished apartments in Los Angeles — more than 50% in one example — after last month’s wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, the city attorney’s office alleged in a lawsuit. Blueground …

State Farm Seeking Interim 22% Rate Hike for Homeowners in Wake of LA Wildfires

State Farm General said on Monday it is asking the California Department of Insurance to immediately approve interim rate increases, including 22% average for homeowners. The carrier, the state’s top homeowners insurer, is partly blaming the devastating Los Angeles wildfires …

Amid Clean up From LA Wildfires, Some Residents Furious Over Hazardous Waste

Not far from where Ceci Carroll lives, a rock-mining company has polluted the air with dust across the San Gabriel Valley, she said. Now, as crews clean charred remains from the Los Angeles wildfires, she worries about a new potential …

Exposed Utility Wires May Have Contributed To LA’s Eaton Fire, Law Firm Says

A law firm representing victims of the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles has submitted photos with a legal filing on Wednesday that appear to show exposed wire at the base of a Southern California Edison tower that the firm alleges …

Trump Asserts Federal Government Power Over California Water

President Donald Trump is asserting more federal government control over water management decisions in California and ordering U.S. officials to override local authorities, casting the steps as necessary to boost the state’s firefighting capabilities. The actions — enshrined in an …