In California, more than 340,000 lose wildfire insurance [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

California’s relatively quiet 2019 fire season ended in October. Just days after Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to half a million customers in Northern California during high-wind conditions, the Saddle Ridge fire in Los Angeles County exploded in size overnight, burning some 8,000 acres.

There are many things Californians can do to prepare for these blazes, but one option – taking out wildfire insurance – is out of reach for many of them. For example, after massive fires in 2018, an estimated 350,000 Californians could no longer get property and casualty insurance that also covered fire.

Over the past several years, premiums have risen significantly – as much as 300% to 500% in many cases. And in many high-risk areas, insurers are increasingly opting not to renew coverage.

In the past four years insurers have dropped more than 340,000 policyholders in fire-prone areas. Owners who can’t find private wildfire insurance must rely on California’s FAIR plan, a state-backed pool of insurers who provide basic coverage for a high price as a last resort.

Read more: https://www.hcn.org/articles/wildfire-in-california-more-than-340000-lose-wildfire-insurance
(High Country News)