California Wildfires News

California Commissioner Issues Emergency Notice to Expedite Wildfire Claims

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Wednesday issued an emergency notice to all property/casualty insurers doing business in California requesting they expedite claims handling for wildfire survivors to help them begin the recovery and rebuilding process more quickly. “I have …

PG&E Warns of Possible Northern California Blackouts at Mid-Week

PG&E Corp. is warning a quarter-million homes and businesses could lose power in northern California starting Wednesday as high winds return to the region. A fire weather watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of northern …

Beer Dissing California Utility PG&E Brewing Backlash

Anger over devastating California wildfires sparked by Pacific Gas & Electric power lines is coming to a head – in a beer. And an outcry is brewing. Steve Doty, owner of Shady Oak brewery in Santa Rosa, announced a new …

Despite Wildfires, California Wine is Doing Just Fine – For Now

If you’re worried that wildfires might have created shortages of Northern California’s 2019 cabernet sauvignon, or even just imparted it with an undesirable smoky flavor, you can relax. The wine is just fine. For now. Despite a late October blaze …

PG&E California Wildfire Victims Sue to Get Paid Before Fire Insurers

PG&E Corp. wildfire victims have filed a new lawsuit arguing they must be fully repaid for the losses of their homes and businesses before fire insurers are as part of the utility’s bankruptcy. The case takes aim at an $11 …

PG&E Expecting over $6B in Costs from California Wildfire

Pacific Gas & Electric is reporting substantial losses for the third quarter, driven by catastrophic wildfires that have been blamed on the utility’s outdated transmission lines. The company anticipates those costs could escalate to as much as $6.3 billion. PG&E …

Typhoon Hagibis to Cost Japan’s Economy $10B, with Insured Losses in Billions: Aon

Typhoon Hagibis is likely to become one of 2019’s costliest events, with economic costs of more than US$10 billion and insured losses minimally in the billions, according to Aon’s monthly catastrophe report. The storm made landfall in Japan’s Iza Peninsula …

California Town Devastated by Wildfire Rebuilds, But Is It Any Safer a Year Later

There was “no way in hell” Victoria Sinclaire was rebuilding in Paradise, Calif. She’d thought she was going to die during the six hours it took her to escape the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The town …

PG&E Extending Deadline for California Wildfire Damage Claims

Pacific Gas & Electric has agreed to extend by two months the deadline to file claims against the company for damages suffered from a series of wildfires in California. Lawyers for the victims asked to extend the original Oct. 21 …

Boosting Resilience to U.S. Wildfires Should Be Insurance Industry Priority: I.I.I.

Nearly a year after the deadliest and costliest wildfire in U.S. history, insurers and the customers they cover are revisiting how to reduce their collective exposure to this risk, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). “While our research has …