California Wildfires News

Former Governor Focuses on Saving California Forests from Wildfires

As smoke lingered in the air amid another destructive California wildfire season, former Gov. Jerry Brown invited a group to his ranch for an urgent conversation: What more could be done to save California’s forests from wildfires? The reality of …

Report: Wildfires Have California in ‘Heightened State of Alert’

California, which has seen its eight largest recorded wildfires since 2017, is in a “heightened state of alert,” according to a new report that calls for urgent policy actions. The report was released on Wednesday and also discussed in a …

California Commissioner’s Latest Insurer Non-Renewal Moratorium Covers Nearly 210K Homes

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to preserve 209,881 residential property insurance policies held by wildfire survivors included in an earlier emergency declaration, bringing the total statewide to 618,700 policyholders across 31 counties who were granted temporary protection …

PG&E Spending $125M for Igniting Massive California Wildfire

Pacific Gas & Electric has reached a $125 million settlement agreement with California regulators over the destructive Kincade fire, which was ignited in 2019 by the utility’s equipment in a remote area of Sonoma County. PG&E shareholders would pay a …

Surging California Winds Spark New Wildfires, Power Outages

Blustery winds still surged through California on Tuesday after downing trees, fanning wildfires and shutting off power to about 21,000 customers in northern and central regions. Red flag warnings of dangerous fire conditions continued in mountains, valleys, canyons and deserts …

California Encourages Prescribed Burns to Counter Wildfires

California is encouraging more use of fire to fight fire, such as when deliberately set burns were recently used to protect giant sequoias from a raging wildfire. But sometimes what are known as prescribed fires themselves spread out of control, …

Millions Risk Losing Homeowners Insurance in Fire-Ravaged California

A California moratorium guaranteeing insurance in wildfire-threatened areas lapsed Saturday, putting 347,000 homes in Pasadena and other Los Angeles foothills communities at the mercy of the market. As many as 2.4 million homes are at risk of losing protection in …

Suspected Arson Wildfire Forces Evacuations in Northern California

Thousands of people were under evacuation orders Friday and many others were on notice to be ready to flee as a destructive wildfire raged in a drought-stricken forest in California’s far north. A woman suspected of starting the Fawn Fire …

California Issues 1-Year Moratorium on Homeowner Insurance Cancellations And Non-Renewals

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Monday ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 325,000 policyholders who have been affected by Northern California wildfires across 22 counties. Lara in early September issued similar orders following emergency …

PG&E: Power Shutoff Protocol May Avert Dixie-Like Fires in California

PG&E Corp. told a judge it has put into place new safety measures that would have resulted in power being cut to a utility line suspected of sparking the second-largest wildfire in California history. The California utility giant said it …