Latest Wildfire Headlines

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

California Commissioner Doing Battle with Insurers over Wildfire Bills

Apr 25 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones appears to be poised for a fight with the insurance industry over a legislative package supports say will protect survivors of last year’s wildfires that struck in the...

Markets Not Getting Better at Insuring Disasters: Viewpoint

Apr 24 2018 // Last year was the second-costliest year for disasters since 1970, according to a new analysis from reinsurance firm Swiss Re AG. Global economic losses from these events reached $337 billion in 2017, behind only...

Sheriff: Arson a Possibility in Deadly Oklahoma Wildfire

Apr 23 2018 // Authorities are investigating the possibility of arson in connection with one of two large wildfires burning in Oklahoma, a blaze that’s resulted in the death of one person.Dewey County Sheriff Clay Sander said that...

Firefighters Hope Better Weather Will Aid Oklahoma Wildfire Fight

Apr 20 2018 // Firefighters are hoping higher humidity and milder winds will help them fight wildfires in Oklahoma, though conditions are critical in Arizona and New Mexico.U.S. Forest Service spokesman Todd Schroeder said on April 19...

California Wildfire Insurance Bills Moved Forward by Committee

Apr 19 2018 // A policy committee in California Legislature has unanimously approved a pair of wildfire-inspired bills by Assemblyman Marc Levine requiring insurance companies to notify homeowners whether their policies are sufficient to...

2 Killed in Oklahoma Wildfires, Threat Continues

Apr 17 2018 // Wildfires have killed two people and burned more than 400,000 acres in western Oklahoma, and dry, windy weather already hindering firefighting efforts there will only get worse as the week progresses, fire and forestry...

California Governor Suspends Mobile Home Regulations to Help Fire Victims

Apr 17 2018 // Gov. Jerry Brown has signed an executive order removing barriers to mobile home construction and placement in an effort to help residents displaced by the recent Southern California mudslides and wildfires.The order...

Dozens of Wildfires Burn Hundreds of Square Miles in Oklahoma, Texas

Apr 16 2018 // Strong winds are fueling more than two dozen wildfires burning across Oklahoma and Texas.Authorities say one blaze in western Oklahoma is estimated to be nearly 40 miles across at its widest point. Oklahoma Forestry...

Everest Re Expects Q1 Catastrophe Losses of $100M on Rising California Wildfire Claims

Apr 12 2018 // Everest Re Group Ltd. estimates it will incur $100 million of catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance recoverables and reinstatement premiums, in the first quarter of 2018, largely arising from the California wildfires and...

Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas Facing Dual Threats: Tornadoes, Wildfires

Apr 9 2018 // Emergency officials in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas are bracing for two types of disasters as spring gets into full swing: The start of what’s historically the most active time of year for tornadoes plus wildfire...

Chubb $380M Q1 Cat Loss Estimate Includes California Wildfires, East Coast Storms

Apr 4 2018 // Chubb Limited released preliminary net loss estimates for the first quarter of 2018 attributable to natural catastrophes, including the California mudslides, of $380 million pre-tax, or $305 million after tax.Losses from...

Report: Orange County Agency Delayed Response to Destructive Wildfire

Apr 2 2018 // A Southern California fire agency is overhauling its procedures after a report found that missteps delayed response to a wildfire last fall that burned 15 homes.The Orange County Fire Authority announced on March 30 that...

Wildfires Cost Montana $240M In Visitor Spending, New Research Shows

Mar 28 2018 // University of Montana researchers say the 2017 fire season likely cost Montana about $240 million in visitor spending.The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research said Tuesday that 12.5 million out-of-staters visited...

California Chief Justice Expects an Influx of Wildfire Claims

Mar 23 2018 // California courts are preparing for an influx of lawsuits tied to last year’s historically destructive wildfires and mudslides, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye told lawmakers this week in her annual “state of...

Wildfires in Southeast Australia Destroy More Than 70 Homes, Kill Livestock

Mar 19 2018 // More than 70 homes were destroyed as bushfires swept through the seaside town of Tathra in southeastern Australia at the weekend. Soaring temperatures and wind gusts fanned the fires about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south...

Wildfires Bring Disaster Declaration in Kansas, Burn Ban in Nebraska

Mar 16 2018 // Gov. Jeff Colyer issued a disaster declaration for three wildfires currently burning in central Kansas.State officials announced that Rice County officials have asked for help from the Kansas National Guard to fight the...

Kansas Governor Issues Wildfire Disaster Declaration

Mar 6 2018 // Forecasters are warning of a high risk of wildfires after one blaze burned 10,000 hay bales in the southwest part of the state.Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer signed an emergency disaster declaration Sunday when the large bales...

California Spent $1.8B Fighting 2017 Wildfires

Mar 5 2018 // California state agencies spent nearly $1.8 billion fighting fierce wildfires that killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses last year, legislative budget experts reported Thursday.The federal...

Fire Chiefs in California Want Money to Prepare for Wildfires

Mar 1 2018 // California fire chiefs said that reinforcements were too slow to arrive in last year’s ferocious firestorms and asked lawmakers for $100 million to call in extra firefighters when weather conditions are ripe for a...

California Officials Lacked Good Fire Alert Plan, Report Shows

Feb 28 2018 // Officials in a Northern California county were ill-prepared, disorganized and lacked sufficient training when deadly, fast-moving wildfires broke out last October endangering about 100,000 people, according to a report...