Washington homeowners living near forests and shrublands say they’re increasingly being dropped by insurers or paying more for coverage as companies recalibrate wildfire risk. Several residents in and around Leavenworth and across Chelan County report nonrenewals despite long claim-free histories, with some turning to surplus lines carriers or the state’s FAIR Plan when standard coverage isn’t available. Local brokers say premium quotes have often risen sharply after a nonrenewal, and they’re rewriting more policies than in prior years.
State insurance officials acknowledge a recent uptick in nonrenewals and say they have begun collecting detailed data from carriers to better understand the scale and reasons. In 2024, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) launched an annual “residential nonrenewal and cancellation” data call, requiring insurers to report counts by ZIP code and reason (e.g., insurer-initiated nonrenewal versus insured-initiated). OIC says this reporting is intended to monitor market conditions and inform potential policy responses.
Officials also stress that, despite headlines from other states, they are not seeing evidence that insurers are abandoning Washington entirely. In January 2025, OIC leadership said companies remain in the market even as some policyholders in high-risk areas face nonrenewals or higher rates.
Wildfire History And Recent Losses
Wildfire exposure in Washington is concentrated east of the Cascades, and recent large fires have underscored the risk. In August 2023, the Gray and Oregon Road fires burned more than 20,000 acres outside Spokane and destroyed 366 homes. A subsequent OIC analysis found that most affected households were underinsured relative to rebuild costs.
Leavenworth and wider Chelan County have a long wildfire record, and local agencies promote “Firewise” defensible-space efforts for homeowners. Even so, multiple homeowners and a longtime Leavenworth broker told The Seattle Times that policy nonrenewals tied to wildfire risk scoring have become more common, with some customers seeing premiums more than double when switching carriers. City of LeavenworthPageSuite
Risk Modeling And Availability
Across the West, insurers increasingly use third-party wildfire risk models (drawing on satellite data, historic fire perimeters, vegetation, and other inputs) to guide underwriting and pricing. Researchers and regulators note that modeling approaches vary by vendor and insurer, which can lead to different outcomes for properties within the same community. In Washington, a 2025 presentation to the state’s Wildfire and Resiliency Standards Work Group highlighted that nonrenewals are typically concentrated in higher-risk ZIP codes, echoing national data compiled by the U.S. Senate Budget Committee and The New York Times. Insurance Commissioner
Climate models project that the share of Washington homes with measurable wildfire risk will rise over the next 30 years, driven by warmer, drier conditions. Mapping from First Street Foundation (published by The Seattle Times) shows risk growth in parts of Eastern Washington through mid-century. Seattle Times
What Regulators Are Tracking
- Data collection: OIC’s residential nonrenewal/cancellation data call requests counts of new, renewed, nonrenewed, and canceled residential policies by ZIP code for 2021–2023, along with reasons for nonrenewal. The agency has said these efforts are designed to “learn more about insurance market conditions” and identify trends.
- Consumer outcomes: After the 2023 Spokane-area fires, OIC reported widespread underinsurance among total-loss homes, highlighting the gap between policy limits and rebuilding costs after large events. Insurance Commissioner
- Market stance: OIC has publicly stated there is no evidence of a wholesale exit by insurers from Washington, even as individual nonrenewals occur in higher-risk locations. KREM
Homeowner Experiences
Interviews and complaint records described in prior reporting indicate homeowners are sometimes notified of nonrenewal after many years with the same carrier, often citing “wildfire risk score” as the reason. Some residents say they have completed mitigation steps — clearing defensible space, metal roofs or siding — yet still struggled to replace coverage or faced higher prices when they did. Brokers in places like Leavenworth report shifting more customers to surplus lines insurers or the FAIR Plan when admitted carriers decline to write a policy.
The Road Ahead
Washington’s overall homeowners market remains active, but nonrenewals and premium increases are affecting certain geographies more than others. Regulators are gathering granular data, researchers expect wildfire risk to increase over the coming decades, and recent fires show how underinsurance can complicate recovery. For now, residents in higher-risk areas face a tougher search for coverage — and, when they find it, higher costs — than in years past.
Stay informed and ahead of the curve — explore more industry insights and program opportunities at ProgramBusiness.com.