On September 9 2020, a thick orange haze above San Francisco, CA from wildfires. This photo is a daytime view of ash and smoke floating over the Bay Area. Recently, the California Department of Insurance released a list of 518 zip codes within or adjacent to this year’s wildfires where insurance companies are no longer […]
Curtis Panasuk was forced to evacuate his home located in Ben Lomond (Santa Cruz County) California when the CZU Lightning Complex fires hit in August according to a recent San Francisco Chronicle article. In the article he said he could hear dynamite-like explosions in the San Lorenzo Valley when nearby homes burned which caused their propane […]
In Salinas, Monterey County, California, a “River Fire” was ignited by dry lightning on August 16, 2020. Smoke fills the sky as it burns close to houses on its first day. Californians have experienced numerous wildfires this year and many of them are still burning out of control which has led to many homeowners having […]
As wildfire season kicks off, lawmakers in California are pushing through an insurance industry backed homeowner insurance bill. While the bill seems popular with a number of lawmakers, it is receiving fierce opposition from consumer groups as well as California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. The bill addresses a number of issues, from letting insurance companies […]
According to national insurance expert and actuary, J. Robert Hunter, a package of homeowner insurance bills that California lawmakers are considering could lead to premium hikes of at least 40 percent across the state. It will also increase the number of California homeowners who are struggling to find coverage for their homes. AB 2167 (Daly-Anaheim), […]
Recently released data in California shows that insurance companies have declined to renew almost 35,000 homeowner insurance policies in wildfire prone areas since the state started collecting this data in 2015. The data did not specify how many of these homeowners managed to find another policy elsewhere or how much of an increase they had […]
California has been experiencing more frequent, and much more destructive wildfires in recent years. In fact, of the 20 worst wildfires to ever hit the state, four of them happened last year, resulting in $12.6 billion in insurance claims. This year has not been much better with the Mendocino Complex Fire, which was the largest […]
State officials in Colorado recently announced that the number of residents whose homes are at risk from wildfires has risen roughly 45 percent in the last five years. This astounding number is the result of a booming population and the changing use of agricultural land. According to the Colorado State Forest Service, 2.9 million people […]
Another historic year of wildfires and the incredible damage they do could make it harder for California homeowners to find affordable insurance or in some counties, any insurance at all. According to the California Department of Insurance, several major insurance companies have stopped writing new policies and are no longer renewing policies in the most […]
As we move into wildfire season we thought it would be helpful to look at how you can prepare your home and property to defend against wildfire damage. Wildfire season starts in late spring, extends into late fall and causes billions of dollars in damage every year. Properly preparing your house can mean the difference […]