By Rhea-Frances Tetley
Staff Writer
Beginning in January 2025, companies wishing to write insurance in California will be required to issue 85 percent of their policies in areas designated as fire risk areas.
That was some encouraging news shared by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara at a virtual town hall hosted by 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Rowe on Sept. 4. More than 250 people preregistered to hear Lara speak about the insurance crisis being experienced by many mountain residents.
Lara told Supervisor Rowe that he is working with the state and county supervisors to design rates that will allow the insurance companies to be profitable and encourage more of them to begin to write policies in California again.
New regulations will go into place in December, Lara added, so that insurance companies will be able to reflect mitigation homeowners in designated areas undertake to reduce fire danger.
Lara encouraged homeowners whose insurance gets canceled to call his office because they want to help consumers. “We’re on your side and understand the situation and want to keep you insured,” he said. “By mid-2025, more homeowner policies will be leaving the Fair Plan and be insured by private companies.”
San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey urged residents to take advantage of the Residential Assessment Program through which fire personnel will walk a property with the homeowner and point out where defensible space can be created. County Fire was recently designated a Fire Risk Reduction Community, which should earn homeowners a discount on their insurance policies.
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