The Lafayette City Police Department and an interagency task force joined a survey firm to deal with extensive damage caused by California wildfires that were raging in August and September. One of these, “the CZU lightning complex fire” caused a massive evacuation before destroying 86,509 acres (35,009 ha) and nearly 1500 structures across four communities… Continue reading California Police Adopt WingtraOne Drone for Wildfire Damage Assessment
Tag: CA wildfires
CA Insurance Commissioner Urges Insurers to Cover Wildfire Property Losses without Requiring a Home Inventory
In response to California’s latest destructive fires, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is requesting that insurance companies help wildfire survivors who are overwhelmed with the task of navigating the claims process by providing up to 100 percent of personal property coverage limits without a detailed inventory to those who suffered a total loss of their home,… Continue reading CA Insurance Commissioner Urges Insurers to Cover Wildfire Property Losses without Requiring a Home Inventory
California Firefighters Tap AI for an Edge in Battling Wildfires
Agencies battling wildfires in California are turning to artificial intelligence and other technologies to predict the spread of blazes and help guide the response of firefighting crews. The AI-based tools are helping officials monitor fires, evacuate threatened areas and send often-stretched resources to places they will do most good. This year, wildfires in California alone… Continue reading California Firefighters Tap AI for an Edge in Battling Wildfires
Thousands Are Displaced as West Coast Crews Battle Fires
Exhausted fire crews worked on Sunday to beat back raging wildfires that have scorched millions of acres across three Western states and displaced thousands of people as communities have been swallowed by flames. At least 24 people have died in the fires, and in Oregon, which has taken the biggest blow in the last few… Continue reading Thousands Are Displaced as West Coast Crews Battle Fires
PG&E Says Wildfire Victims Voted for $13.5B Settlement Offer
PG&E Corp. said it survived attempts to rally wildfire victims against a $13.5 billion settlement offer, positioning the bankrupt utility favorably to exit chapter 11 on its preferred terms. Opponents of PG&E’s bankruptcy exit strategy had spent weeks laying out their concerns, with a particular focus on personal-injury lawyer Mikal Watts, whose firm counts 16,000… Continue reading PG&E Says Wildfire Victims Voted for $13.5B Settlement Offer
PG&E to Plead Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter Charges in Deadly California Wildfire
PG&E Corp. has agreed to plead guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter charges for its role in starting the deadliest wildfire in California’s history. The indictment in Butte County, where 85 people died during the 2018 Camp Fire, charges the company with 84 counts of manslaughter and one count of unlawfully causing a fire. The company… Continue reading PG&E to Plead Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter Charges in Deadly California Wildfire
‘Renew California’ Bill Seeks to Ease Wildfire-Fueled Homeowners Insurance Crisis
A wildfire-related crisis facing counties all over the state could have one solution in sight. As the risk of destructive wildfire grows, tens of thousands of California homeowners are finding insurance companies are dropping their coverage and pulling out of fire-prone communities altogether. That leaves homeowners unprotected at best — and unable to keep their… Continue reading ‘Renew California’ Bill Seeks to Ease Wildfire-Fueled Homeowners Insurance Crisis
Proposed Settlement Would Make California Fire Victims PG&E’s Biggest Shareholders
PG&E Corp. proposes to pay half of its $13.5 billion settlement with California wildfire victims in company shares, a move that would make victims the utility’s largest shareholders—and jeopardize payments if PG&E sparks future fires. As part of its plan to exit bankruptcy, PG&E would pay fire-victim claims through a trust funded with equal parts… Continue reading Proposed Settlement Would Make California Fire Victims PG&E’s Biggest Shareholders
High Cost of Wildfire Insurance Hits California Home Sales
Home sales are slowing in wildfire-prone areas of California as insurers retreat from high-risk regions, say real-estate agents and homeowners. Insurance companies have continued to reduce their wildfire exposure in the past two years after paying more than $24 billion for California wildfire losses in 2017 and 2018. Home insurers have declined to renew policies… Continue reading High Cost of Wildfire Insurance Hits California Home Sales
Department Issues Revised Pan of Operation for CA’s FAIR Plan
The California Department of Insurance on December 19 issued a revised plan of operation for the California FAIR Plan Association (FAIR Plan) as required under California law. The action furthers Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s November 14 order, which revoked portions of the FAIR Plan’s current plan of operation and ordered the “insurer of last resort”… Continue reading Department Issues Revised Pan of Operation for CA’s FAIR Plan