Latest Wildfire Headlines

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

PG&E in California Vows to Keep The Lights on Despite Bankruptcy

Feb 1 2019 // Utility owner PG&E Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday in anticipation of liabilities from California wildfires, including a catastrophic 2018 blaze that killed 86 people.PG&E, which provides...

California Wants Faster Forestry Approvals in Wildfire Fight

Jan 31 2019 // California wildland managers said this week that they want to speed up logging and prescribed burns designed to slow wildfires that have devastated communities in recent years.After the deadliest and most destructive...

Judge Says PG&E Has ‘Clear-Cut’ Pattern of Starting Wildfires

Jan 31 2019 // A federal judge who has emerged as a vocal critic of PG&E Corp.’s safety record, said the California utility giant has a “clear-cut pattern” of starting wildfires and needs “strong...

A Look at PG&E’s Rapid Fall After California Wildfires

Jan 30 2019 // On an unusually warm day in northern California, hot and dry winds whipped through the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of San Francisco.It was Thursday, Nov. 8, and a “red-flag warning” from the National...

Expert Ponders California Wildfire Commission, Other Solutions to State’s Severe Seasons

Jan 29 2019 // Establishing a California Wildfire Commission is just one idea an expert is tossing out to help the state deal with worsening fire seasons.James Woods was formerly co-leader of Mayer Brown’s Global Insurance Industry...

PG&E in California Files for Bankruptcy in Wake of Wildfire Liabilities

Jan 29 2019 // Power provider PG&E Corp. filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, succumbing to liabilities stemming from wildfires in Northern California in 2017 and 2018.The owner of the biggest U.S. power...

Insured Losses from Last Year’s California Wildfires up to $11.4B

Jan 28 2019 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Monday announced that more than $11.4 billion in insured losses have been reported from the November 2018 fires.That is a 25 percent increase, or more than $2.3 billion,...

PG&E Cleared of Liability in 2017 California Wildfire, Bankruptcy Still Seen

Jan 28 2019 // California fire investigators last week concluded that a major 2017 wildfire was caused by privately owned electrical equipment, prompting the state’s new governor to estimate that PG&E Corp’s potential...

PG&E Erases Settlements with California Victims as Bankruptcy Looms

Jan 28 2019 // As PG&E Corp. prepares to file for bankruptcy, victims of wildfires are getting a preview of how they’re likely to be treated as the utility reorganizes — harshly.Ahead of an expected filing for Chapter 11...

Assessing Effects of Government Shutdown on Wildfires, Workforce, Research

Jan 28 2019 // The government may be reopening, but the consequences of the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history are likely to linger for national parks, forests, the federal workforce and cutting-edge scientific research. Some may...

PG&E Cleared of Liability in Major 2017 Fire; Bankruptcy Still Likely

Jan 25 2019 // California fire investigators on Thursday concluded that a major 2017 wildfire was caused by privately owned electrical equipment, prompting the state’s new governor to estimate that PG&E Corp’s potential...

PG&E: Judge’s Aggressive Fire Prevention Plan Would Cost $150B

Jan 24 2019 // PG&E Corp. estimates it would cost as much as $150 billion this year alone to comply with a federal judge’s proposal to prevent wildfires.California’s largest investor-owned utility said U.S. District Judge...

California’s Massive Wildfires Push Travelers to Seek Higher Premiums

Jan 22 2019 // California’s deadly wildfires are raising the specter of higher insurance premiums for homeowners in the state.After “two significant years in a row of losses, I think the discussion and the debate about the...

Travelers Grew Q4 Profit Despite California Wildfire, Hurricane Michael Losses

Jan 22 2019 // Travelers Cos. reported that despite catastrophe losses from the California wildfires and Hurricane Michael, it boosted its profit in the fourth quarter of 2018 thanks to growth in premiums and investment income.Net income...

Edison Trying to Shift Blame for California Mudslides

Jan 22 2019 // Edison International said much of the damage from the mudslides that swept through the coastal town of Montecito last year was the result of poorly designed and maintained debris basins for which local governments are...

Researchers Looking into How Drones Can Predict Wildfire Spread

Jan 21 2019 // A University of Missouri researcher is teaming up with scholars in Kansas and Georgia to develop drone technology to monitor and potentially predict the spread of wildfires.The $1.2 million research project that began last...

California Wildfires, Hurricane Michael Top List of 2018’s Costliest Natural Disasters: Munich Re

Jan 21 2019 // The costliest natural catastrophes occurred in the United States in 2018 with one of California’s devastating wildfires and Hurricane Michael topping the list, according to Munich Re.A report from Munich Re on last...

Industry Trends to Exploit for 2019

Jan 21 2019 // It is time to take out our crystal ball and plan for 2019 and how our insurance industry will be impacted by the trends around us. Those that consider these changes, and plan ahead, will usually be in a better position...

Wildfires, Dynamex Dominate California Wholesaler Conference

Jan 21 2019 // Wildfires and the Dynamex decision dominated discussions at an insurance wholesaler conference in early January.The California Wholesaler Association conference in La Jolla, Calif., from Jan. 6 to Jan. 8 featured numerous...

For New Governors, Natural Disasters Will Be Necessary Priority

Jan 21 2019 // Even Governors Skeptical of Climate Change Can’t Avoid Need to Plan for Future Storms, FiresGovernors have a range of priorities they want to tackle in the coming year, from tax reform to education. Yet, one topic...