Latest Wildfire Headlines

All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Australia Faces More Severe Cyclones, Wildfires, Floods as Climate Warms: IAG

Nov 1 2019 // Australia faces the prospect of more severe cyclones, wildfires and floods as the climate warms, the nation’s largest insurer said.A 3 degree Celsius increase in global temperatures will lead to higher intensity...

CEO Greenberg Says Chubb Has Been Able to ‘Reshape Portfolio’ in Wildfire Zones

Nov 1 2019 // Some insurers may be facing sizable risks stemming from the latest round of California wildfires now raging, but Chubb Chairman and CEO Evan Greenberg insists his company isn’t one of them.“We do have a quota...

A.M. Best Says Insurers Challenged by ‘New Normal’ of California Wildfires

Oct 31 2019 // While the number of burned acres in 2019 is still well below the number reported last year through October, experts predict the greatest fire potential will occur from now through December as the Santa Ana winds pick up,...

Groups, Officials Pen Letter to 3 Large California Insurers Asking Them to Ditch Fossil Fuels

Oct 31 2019 // Several dozen activist groups, businesses and elected representatives released a letter on Thursday to the CEOs of Liberty Mutual, AIG and Farmers calling on the three biggest fire insurers in California to stop fueling...

Another $550M in Properties at Immediate Risk in 3 California Blazes, Report Shows

Oct 30 2019 // A catastrophe modeler released figures on Wednesday showing how costly ongoing California blazes could potentially be as blustery winds make for increasingly dangerous fire risk up and down the state.Damages from the fires...

PG&E Open to Extending California Wildfire Victim Claims Deadline

Oct 29 2019 // PG&E Corp. told a judge it’s willing to extend the deadline for victims of wildfires caused by the utility’s equipment to file claims in its bankruptcy.U.S. District Judge James Donato criticized the...

This Wildfire Metric Threatens to Upend PG&E’s Restructuring Plan

Oct 29 2019 // PG&E Corp. investors looking to learn their fate may not get the answer from the bankrupt power company. Instead, the key data point could pop up within days on the website of California’s forestry...

California Wildfire Damage at $25.4B and Rising

Oct 29 2019 // Damages from the fires ripping across California stand at $25.4 billion, and they’re bound to keep rising.The Kincade fire has cost $10.6 billion, while the tally in Southern California is $14.8 billion mainly from...

PG&E Power Shutoffs Hit 2.7M as California Wildfires Burn

Oct 28 2019 // Mass power shutoffs by PG&E Corp. left more than 2.7 million Californians in the dark Sunday, the state’s largest deliberate blackout ever, as the bankrupt utility tries to keep its equipment from igniting...

California Braces for Biggest Blackout Yet as Massive Wildfire Burns

Oct 25 2019 // As wildfires rage and utilities race to restore power, the worst may be yet to come for California residents.PG&E Corp. has restored power to about 165,000 customers in portions of 18 counties, or about 93% of those...

IBHS Chief Continues to Ask Congress to Embrace Tax Credits for Climate Resilience

Oct 24 2019 // The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety has its eye on more than just helping improve safety on the roads and in homes.The climate and severe weather have also been on the IBHS radar lately. Roy E. Wright,...

500K-Plus Californians Lose Power; Large Wildfire Rages

Oct 24 2019 // More than half a million people have lost power across California as part of a deliberate blackout designed to keep power lines from igniting wildfires. Meanwhile, a major blaze has already erupted.PG&E Corp. and other...

PG&E’s Latest Planned Power Cutoffs Could Impact Thousands of Californians

Oct 23 2019 // People in more than 180,000 homes and businesses in California could find themselves in the dark as Pacific Gas & Electric again plans to shut off power in parts of 17 counties for up to two days, as a preventive...

California Threatened by More Blackouts With Wind Gusts

Oct 21 2019 // Almost two weeks after 2.3 million people in California suffered through forced blackouts, the state’s utilities are warning they may have to cut power again with dry, gusting winds raising the threat of wildfires.At...

26 Insurers Extend Time for 2017 California Wildfire Victims for Living Expenses

Oct 18 2019 // Twenty-six insurers have agreed to extend the time limits for 2017 wildfire survivors to access additional living expense benefits.The companies represent a majority of the total losses from the devastating 2017 wildfires...

PG&E Noteholders, California Wildfire Victims File Formal Reorganization Plan

Oct 18 2019 // Noteholders of PG&E Corp. and a committee for victims of the wildfires that pushed the power producer into bankruptcy filed a formal reorganization plan on Thursday for the company, proposing they get effectively all...

Officials: Deadly Los Angeles Wildfire Began Near Base of Electrical Tower

Oct 15 2019 // A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire...

California Governor Wants to Hold PG&E Accountable for Mismanaging Power Shutoffs

Oct 15 2019 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday that utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. should be held accountable for mismanaging last week’s widespread power shutoffs and urged the company to provide credits or...

Californians Bracing for Next Blackout After Massive Outage Ends

Oct 14 2019 // An unprecedented blackout that plunged millions of Californians into the darkness for days is over.And nobody can say when the next will hit. Even as PG&E Corp. declared an end to last week’s shutoffs – a...

Food Spoils, Businesses Close as California Power Outages Imposed

Oct 11 2019 // A California dentist canceled dozens of appointments and supermarkets tried to save rotting food on Thursday as electricity was cut to over 600,000 homes and workplaces in a second day of planned power outages to cut...