Latest Wildfire Headlines

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

Insurance Industry Week of Giving Set Records in Midst of Catastrophes

Dec 18 2017 // Hundreds of volunteers from the insurance industry descended on the National Veterans cemeteries in October in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth to assist with maintenance and cleanup.Volunteers in Chicago from several...

The Road to a Rebound After 2017 Storms, Wildfires: Fitch

Dec 18 2017 // U.S. property/casualty insurers will rebound in 2018 from the late-2017 onslaught of hurricanes and wildfires, but it will take a while to return to “significant underwriting profits,” Fitch Ratings predicted...

Tougher Utility Rules Being Considered in Wake of California Wildfires

Dec 15 2017 // California utilities may face tougher safety rules for power lines, phone lines and utility poles in parts of the state most prone to wildfires.Under the proposed rules being considered by the California Public Utilities...

Winds Kick up Fire Threat from California Wildfires

Dec 15 2017 // Dry, gusting winds are aggravating fire worries across much of central and western California, including those areas where infernos are still raging and places that were scorched in October, the U.S. Storm Prediction...

Farmers Reports $1.2B in Claims from Northern California Wildfires

Dec 15 2017 // Farmers Insurance reported it has received more than 4,000 claims from the Northern California wildfires to date at an estimated gross cost of $1.2 billion.With reinsurance, the Los Angeles-based carrier estimates its...

200 Homes Evacuated as South Dakota Wildfire Grows

Dec 14 2017 // Strong winds are fanning the flames of a growing wildfire in South Dakota, pushing the fire beyond the borders of the Custer State Park and prompting new evacuations.Custer County Emergency Management director Mike Carter...

Verisk: 96% of the Area in California Fire at High or Extreme Wildfire Risk

Dec 13 2017 // Most of the area within the massive Thomas fire in Southern California is at high or extreme wildfire risk, according to a Verisk report on Wednesday.The fire encompasses more than 230,500 acres, and while containment on...

Wind Threat Remains as Crews Gain on Huge California Wildfire

Dec 13 2017 // After achieving increased containment on one of the biggest wildfires in California history, officials warned that communities remain at risk and the threat could increase as unpredictable winds whip up again.Red Flag...

California Commissioner Wants Halt to Moratoriums in Wildfire Areas

Dec 12 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has issued a formal notice to insurers directing them to cease any and all moratoriums on auto insurance and reminding them that California law prohibits the practice.Jones...

It’ll Take Time for P/C Insurers’ Profits to Rebound After 2017 Storms, Wildfires: Fitch

Dec 11 2017 // U.S. property/casualty insurers will rebound in 2018 from the late-2017 onslaught of hurricanes and wildfires, but it will take a while to return to “significant underwriting profits,” Fitch Ratings predicted...

FBI Keeping an Eye on Fraud in Northern California Fire Recovery

Dec 8 2017 // The FBI is joining efforts to prevent fraud related to Northern California wildfire recovery efforts.Nearly two dozen blazes ripped through the region in mid-October, destroying 8,800 structures and 245,000 acres of land....

Report: 86K-plus Homes at Some Risk Level in Southern California Wildfires

Dec 8 2017 // A total of 86,242 homes in Ventura and Los Angeles counties with a combined reconstruction cost value of $27.7 billion are at some level of risk from the Thomas, Rye and Creek Wildfires, according to a CoreLogic report...

How A Dry Spell Allowed Winds to Lash California With Flames

Dec 8 2017 // The hot, dry Santa Ana winds whipping up the unseasonably fierce wildfires ravaging Southern California have come at the worst time, at the end of a long dry spell.The combination of savage Santa Anas and tinder-dry plants...

Los Angeles Wildfires Close Roads, Threaten Crops, Force Evacuations

Dec 7 2017 // Wildfires raging across Southern California have shut a major commuter artery in Los Angeles, suspended filming, wiped out more than $3 billion of market value for regional utility Edison International and are threatening...

California Wildfire Claims Now Top $9.4B, Department of Insurance Says

Dec 6 2017 // California Commissioner Dave Jones announced on Wednesday that total of insured losses from the wildfires in California in October now top $9.4 billion in residential and commercial claims.The latest figure is near the...

Southern California Fires Prompt Evacuations of Thousands from Homes

Dec 6 2017 // Ferocious Santa Ana winds raking Southern California whipped explosive wildfires Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of homes.The biggest blaze broke out Monday in Ventura County and grew wildly to more than...

RenaissanceRe: $90M Estimated Net Negative Impact from California Wildfires

Dec 6 2017 // RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. said it estimates that losses from the October 2017 California Wildfires will have a net negative impact of $90 million on its fourth quarter 2017 results of operations.The October 2017...

Another California Utility Loses Billions in Value as Wildfire Rages

Dec 6 2017 // Once again, thousands are fleeing a wildfire in California. And, once again, the worry on Wall Street is that a major electric utility might end up on the hook for the damages.Shares of Edison International plunged the...

La Nina Adds to Wildfire Threat in South Central, Plains States

Dec 4 2017 // Conditions are ripe for winter wildfires from the mid-South through the Great Plains thanks to a combination of weather factors, including the climate phenomenon known as La Nina, that have left a lot of dry growth.In...

California Seeking $4.4B in Federal Aid for Wildfires

Dec 4 2017 // California’s 53 U.S. House members are requesting $4.4 billion in federal aid to help the state recover from its deadliest wildfires ever.That’s down sharply from the $7.4 billion originally sought by Gov....