California Wildfires News

Allstate Says Losses from California Fires $670M, CEO Wants to Address Climate Change

Allstate this week announced estimated catastrophe losses for the month of November 2018 of $685 million, pre-tax ($541 million, after-tax). Catastrophe losses occurring in November comprised six events at an estimated cost of $679 million, pre-tax ($536 million, after-tax), plus …

Official Figure on Insured Losses for 2018 California Wildfires Reaches $9B

The official tally for insured losses from this year’s major California wildfires is $9.05 billion – for now. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Wednesday released official figures for losses from the Camp Fire in Northern California and the Woolsey …

AM Best Downgrades Ratings of Mercury in California, Wildfires a Factor

AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to “a+” from “aa-” for the members of Los Angeles, Calif.-based Mercury Casualty Group. The record wildfires …

Utilities to Cover Power Lines, Expand Weather Monitoring in High Risk Areas

California utilities plan to insulate power lines, increase inspections and build new weather stations in areas at high risk for wildfires in an effort to combat increasingly destructive blazes. Southern California Edison told legislative employees this week it wants to …

PG&E Sued for Ad Spending Instead of on Preventing Events Like the California Wildfire

PG&E Corp. was accused of putting its “reputation above public safety” in a lawsuit alleging that the power company spends too much on advertising and not enough on preventing devastating Northern California wildfires like the one that destroyed the town …

Modeler: Insured Losses from Camp Wildfire in California at $6B to $9B

Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that industry insured losses from the Camp Fire in Northern California will be between $6 billion and $9 billion, and taken together with the Woolsey fire in Southern California AIR estimates industry insured losses …

Farmers Expects $2.1B in Claims from California Wildfires

Farmers Insurance expects $2.1 billion in claims from the California wildfires in November. The Los Angeles, Calif.-based carrier said it has so far received more than 9,000 claims combined for the Camp Fire in Northern California and the Woolsey Fire …

Modeler: Insured Losses from Woolsey Fire in Southern California at Least $2.5B

Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide on Friday said it estimates that insured losses from the Woolsey Fire in Southern California will be at least $2.5 billion. Moody’s on Thursday released estimates showing property/casualty insurers and reinsurers total insured losses …

California Regulator Requiring PG&E to Implement Safety Recommendations

California’s top utilities regulator on Thursday ordered the embattled power utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to implement safety recommendations the agency’s staff outlined in an independent third-party report. The move by the California Public Utilities Commission comes as it …

Moody’s Says California Wildfire Losses Will Impact P/C Insurer, Reinsurer 4Q Earnings

Moody’s has released estimates showing property/casualty insurers and reinsurers total insured losses at $10 billion $15 billion from the California wildfires, which destroyed more than 20,000 residential and commercial structures, and damaged nearly 1,000 structures. Moody’s says it expects insured …