Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 325,000 policyholders who have been affected by devastating Northern California wildfires across 22 counties. This Order protects those living within the perimeter or adjoining ZIP Code of a declared wildfire disaster regardless of whether they suffered a loss, including… Continue reading Commissioner Lara Protects Coverage for 325,000 Northern California Wildfire Survivors
Tag: wildfire insurance
As Caldor Fire Spreads, Lake Tahoe Area Is on High Alert
Firefighters expressed hope Tuesday that the Caldor Fire may narrowly miss burning the town of South Lake Tahoe after edging close to it this week. The fire had burned 191,607 acres and was 16% contained as of Tuesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Evacuation orders have cleared… Continue reading As Caldor Fire Spreads, Lake Tahoe Area Is on High Alert
PG&E Blacks Out Some Customers to Reduce California Wildfire Risks
PG&E Corp. said it was cutting off electricity Tuesday to as many as 51,000 customers in heavily forested parts of Northern California to reduce the risk that its power equipment will spark wildfires. The utility company said it began implementing so-called public safety power shut-offs Tuesday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time in small parts of… Continue reading PG&E Blacks Out Some Customers to Reduce California Wildfire Risks
Farmers Makes Coverage Available to Some CA Homeowners in Wildfire-Prone Areas
Thousands of California residents who only can buy homeowners policies through the state’s last-resort insurance program will now be eligible for Farmers Insurance coverage. Farmers’ ability to offer insurance is related to a partnership with the startup Zesty.ai, which will enable Farmers to use artificial intelligence incorporating high-resolution aerial imagery, building-material and code data and… Continue reading Farmers Makes Coverage Available to Some CA Homeowners in Wildfire-Prone Areas
Homebound: The One-Stop Rebuilding Shop for Wildfire Victims
California is on fire. Already this year, thousands of people have lost their homes, and communities are struggling to figure out how to rebuild. Nikki Pechet wants to be the person they turn to. Pechet co-founded Homebound Inc. in 2018 after the Tubbs Fire destroyed 4,600 homes in Northern California, envisioning the company as a… Continue reading Homebound: The One-Stop Rebuilding Shop for Wildfire Victims
RMS Estimates Insurance Losses from Western U.S. Wildfires to be Between $4B and $8B
RMS, the world’s leading catastrophe risk company estimates insured losses for the Western U.S. will be between US$4.0 and US$8.0 billion. These losses reflect estimates as of September 20, 2020, and further escalation in losses are likely as many fires are still ongoing in California, Oregon, and Washington. RMS estimates insured losses from major wildfires… Continue reading RMS Estimates Insurance Losses from Western U.S. Wildfires to be Between $4B and $8B
PG&E, California Agree to $1.68 Billion Settlement for Wildfires
The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed a $1.68 billion settlement with PG&E Corp. for the role the utility company played in igniting a series of deadly wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that killed more than 100 people. Under the terms of the settlement included in a filing by the regulator, the company would be… Continue reading PG&E, California Agree to $1.68 Billion Settlement for Wildfires
California ‘Insurer of Last Resort’ Sues the State as Crisis Deepens in Wildfire Zones
With thousands of rural Californians losing their homeowners’ insurance because of wildfire risks, the state’s “insurer of last resort” sued its regulator Friday, seeking to block his order requiring the insurer to broaden its coverage. The lawsuit, by the industry-backed California FAIR Plan against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, is the latest twist in a deepening… Continue reading California ‘Insurer of Last Resort’ Sues the State as Crisis Deepens in Wildfire Zones
California Bans Insurers from Dropping Policies in Fire-Ravaged Areas
Responding to several years of unprecedented fires across California, regulators on Thursday imposed a one-year moratorium banning insurers from dropping policies for homeowners in wildfire-ravaged areas of the state. The move comes amid an exodus of some insurers in communities hard hit by fires, forcing some homeowners to take plans that provide less coverage, sometimes… Continue reading California Bans Insurers from Dropping Policies in Fire-Ravaged Areas
Wildfire Victims Insist $11 Billion Insurance Pact Is Blocking PG&E Deal
Victims of wildfires linked to PG&E Corp.’s equipment said property insurers with billions of dollars on the line aren’t at the negotiating table, lowering the chances of a comprehensive deal to end the bankruptcy. “They took the cash. There’s no cash left,” fire victim lawyer Robert Julian said at a hearing Tuesday in the U.S.… Continue reading Wildfire Victims Insist $11 Billion Insurance Pact Is Blocking PG&E Deal