L.A. Wildfires News

After the Flames: Preparing for the Growing Fraud Threat in Los Angeles

Fraudsters target both insurance carriers and vulnerable individuals, preying on survivors of natural disasters—and California’s wildfires will be no exception. These criminals use false promises and fraudulent schemes to exploit emotionally drained victims. In 20 years of leading special investigation …

Wall Street Brokers Start Trading Insurer Claims From LA Fires

Wall Street brokers have started selling insurers’ claims tied to Los Angeles’ deadly wildfires, which may trigger a payout from the utilities blamed for the destruction, according to people familiar with the matter. Investors are buying so-called subrogation claims, obtaining …

California Insurance Commissioner Provisionally OK’s State Farm’s 22% Rate Request

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara provisionally approved State Farm’s request for a 22% interim rate hike, the California Department of Insurance announced on Friday. The approval is on the provision that the company can justify the hike with data in …

Next Round of Inspections in LA Fire Expected Next Week, Edison CEO Says

Southern California Edison will begin its first close-up physical inspections of certain power equipment under investigation for possible links to the start of the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles early this year, Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro told Reuters at …

State Farm, Consumer Group Battle Ahead of Insurance Commissioner Decision

Ahead of a decision from California’s insurance commissioner on a State Farm General request for emergency rate increases, company executives and representatives of a consumer group pled their opposing cases in letters to Commissioner Ricardo Lara. News outlets in California …

A California City Is Pioneering Urban-Scale Insurance for Climate Disasters

“Fire took everything, please help.” The headline was one of hundreds like it on GoFundMe campaigns that launched even as the embers of the fires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena were still smoldering. They were a grim reminder that …

Insurers Have Paid $12B in Claims for LA Wildfires, Report Shows

Insurance companies have so far paid out more than $12 billion for losses from the two biggest of the Los Angeles-area wildfires that swept through the region and destroyed tens of thousands of homes in January. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo …

Los Angeles County Sues Utility Edison Over Deadly Wildfire

Los Angeles County sued Edison International to recoup its losses from a January wildfire that was one of the most destructive in California history. The suit alleges that equipment owned by the company’s Southern California Edison utility caused the Eaton …

ZestyAI: More Than $2 Trillion in US Homes at High Risk of Wildfires

While Western wildfires have dominated disaster news for decades, new analysis using artificial intelligence shows millions of homes across the country—even in the swampy Southeast—are at risk for wildfires. New data analysis from ZestyAI found that $2.15 trillion worth of …

Edison Says Wildfire Fund May Shield Balance Sheet From LA Fire Claims

California’s $21 billion wildfire fund may shield Edison International’s balance sheet if equipment owned by the company’s electric utility is found to have caused a deadly Los Angeles fire last month, Edison’s CEO said on Thursday. Southern California Edison, one …