California Commissioner Launches Smoke Claims & Remediation Task Force

A new task force has been formed to develop standards in California for insurance coverage and clean-up of smoke-damaged homes.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced the formation of a Smoke Claims & Remediation Task Force within the California Department of Insurance to develop consistent statewide standards for investigating and paying smoke damage claims.

Related: Smoke Damage from LA Wildfires Leaves Questions to Be Answered

In March, Commissioner Lara began requiring insurers to fully investigate and pay legitimate smoke damage claims. He also sent a directive to the California FAIR Plan requiring it to follow the same standards.

The task force will bring together public health experts, environmental health professionals, smoke remediation specialists, fire safety experts, and consumer advocates to recommend standards and best practices for smoke restoration of homes and personal property, as well as enforcement tools to the CDI.

Related: Study: Smoke From Climate-Fueled Wildfires Contributed to Thousands of US Deaths Over 15 Years

According to the CDI, Lara is in the process of appointing task force members and will announce its membership in the coming weeks, and the meeting will be scheduled after that.