Mandatory one-year moratorium prevents homeowners insurance cancellations and non-renewals for areas around Airport, Bridge, and Line fires

September 23, 2024 - LOS ANGELES — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for approximately 750,000 policyholders affected by the Airport, Bridge, and Line fires located in the counties of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino. The Commissioner’s Bulletin shields those living within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP Codes of these fires from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the Governor’s emergency declarations regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

“By law, I am able to place moratoriums on insurance company homeowners cancellations and non-renewals in areas stricken by wildfires. This creates much-needed breathing room for homeowners while my Sustainable Insurance Strategy takes effect,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who has protected nearly 5 million people under the law since 2019. “Wildfire survivors should not have to worry about insurance while they are recovering. This temporary protection also will help calm fears and stabilize the market while the reforms we are making this year are implemented.” 

Commissioner Lara’s ability to issue these moratoriums is a result of a California law that he authored in 2018 while serving as a state senator in order to provide temporary relief from insurance non-renewals and cancellations to residents living within or adjacent to a gubernatorial-declared wildfire disaster.

The Department of Insurance is deploying staff to wildfire disaster areas to assist survivors in filing claims and protect communities from potential insurance fraud and abuse. Consumer services experts are available in-person to answer questions at Local Assistance Centers. Visit the Department’s website to find information about Local Assistance Centers near you and view the Top 10 Tips for wildfire claimants to avoid becoming a victim of a scam, or call 800-927-4357 with any insurance-related question.

Since 2019, Commissioner Lara’s actions have protected nearly 5 million homeowners. Today’s order protects approximately 750,000 policyholders in 91 ZIP Codes for one year. That includes approximately 170,000 policies for the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, effective September 7, 2024, and 580,000 policies for the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties and the Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, effective September 11, 2024. Consumers who were non-renewed prior to the emergency declaration date and are unable to obtain insurance or are dissatisfied with their current coverage should contact the Department of Insurance for assistance in shopping for insurance. Earlier this year, the Department protected 185,000 residents of Central and Northern California affected by multiple fires across four counties – for a total of nearly 1 million policies under moratorium in 2024.

Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP Code is included in a moratorium. Consumers should contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.

Since taking office in 2019, Commissioner Lara has done the following major wildfire-related actions:

• Announced his Sustainable Insurance Strategy, the largest insurance reform in 30 years, which includes a number of executive actions aimed at improving insurance choices and protecting Californians from increasing climate threats while addressing the long-term sustainability of the nation’s largest insurance market.
• Modernized and improved the California FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort. Commissioner Lara’s plan offers homeowners and condo associations and business owners expanded coverage in a new “high-value” plan with limits up to $20 million per building, a sound financial formula to protect policyholders in extreme loss scenarios, and improved transparency by requiring increased public reporting on FAIR Plan activity and customer service metrics. Commissioner Lara previously raised residential and commercial coverage limits for the first time in 25 years to keep pace with increased costs.
• Released his catastrophe modeling regulation that will help restore options for all Californians. His proposed regulation will have major benefits for Californians in the form of more reliable rates, greater availability of insurance, stronger oversight, and safer communities.
• Announced “Safer from Wildfires,” a new insurance framework that incorporates wildfire safety measures to help save lives while making homes and businesses more resilient. Safer from Wildfires was created by a first-ever partnership between the Department of Insurance and the emergency and preparedness agencies in the Governor’s Administration, including CAL FIRE, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Public Utilities Commission
• Finalized new regulations to incorporate Safer from Wildfires in insurance pricing, driving down costs for consumers who have taken actions to protect their communities while increasing transparency about their home’s or business’s “wildfire risk score.”
• Sponsored new insurance protections signed into law by the Governor — despite opposition from insurance companies — that will mean larger payouts for some claims, less red tape from insurance companies, and more help for people under evacuation orders.

Following the Governor’s state of emergency declarations, the Department of Insurance partners with CAL FIRE and CalOES, pursuant to existing statute, to identify wildfire perimeters for mandatory moratorium areas. The Department of Insurance will continue to collaborate with CAL FIRE and CalOES to identify additional wildfire perimeters for any fires where the governor declares a state of emergency.

Notes:

• Link to Commissioner’s Bulletin.
• On September 7, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency covering San Bernardino County due to the Line Fire.
• On September 11, 2024, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency covering Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties due to the Bridge Fire and Orange and Riverside counties due to the Airport Fire.
• While existing law prevents non-renewals and cancellations for those who suffer a total loss in areas subject to a declared disaster, the 2018 law established protection for those living within or adjacent to a declared wildfire emergency whether they suffer a loss or not — recognizing for the first time in law the disruption that non-renewals cause in communities following wildfire disasters. Homeowners who suffered a total property loss have up to
  24 months of protection from non-renewal or cancellation.
• Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to find the Commissioner’s Bulletin to see if their ZIP Code is included in this moratorium.
  Source: CA. Dept, of Ins.