California wildfires News

Industry Representative Puts Fire Insurance Availability at Feet of Commissioner

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will have to choose whether he wants insurers to charge higher rates or to stop writing homeowners insurance in fire-prone areas, an industry representative said following new wildfire directives announced by the commissioner. Lara on …

Dispute Erupts Over Radios Utility Workers Use in California Wildfires

Radio technology that’s critical to helping utility workers deal with California wildfires is at the heart of a trial that pits an iconic American brand against a Chinese firm accused of corporate espionage. Motorola Solutions Inc. wants a federal jury …

Winds Whip California as 2.5 Million People Face Power Cuts

California utilities are warning they may cut electricity to as many as 2.5 million people to prevent power lines from sparking fires as some of the strongest winds of the season hit the state. High winds Tuesday will leave more …

Judge Strips PG&E of Exclusive Control Over Recovery Plan

California power giant PG&E Corp. was stripped of its right to exclusively pitch a reorganization plan in court, escalating an already-heated battle over the largest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history. The shares dropped more than 25% in after-hours trading. U.S. …

California Insurers Drop Policies in High-Fire Risk Areas

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — New California data shows insurance companies declined to renew nearly 350,000 home insurance policies in areas at high risk for wildfire since the state began collecting data in 2015. The data released this week did not say …

Wildfire Acreage Way Down in California this Year – So Far

LOS ANGELES — California is not burning. At least not as much as it has in recent years. Acreage burned through Sunday is down 90% compared to the average over the past five years and down 95% from last year, …

PG&E Posts $2.6 Billion Loss Stemming From Bankruptcy, Wildfires

PG&E Corp., the bankrupt California utility giant, reported a $2.6 billion second-quarter loss and said it expects more charges this year tied to wildfires that devastated the state in 2017 and 2018. The company, which didn’t provide an outlook for …

Insurers Offer Competing Plan to Rescue PG&E from Bankruptcy

SAN FRANCISCO — Insurance companies contending that Pacific Gas & Electric owes them more than $20 billion from wildfire claims want to take over the California utility and pull it out of bankruptcy. The insurers filed court documents Tuesday to …

California Cities Ask Newsom to Remove Hurdles for PG&E Assets

A new California law, a win for Governor Gavin Newsom, is intended to help utilities cover wildfire liabilities. But it’s also impeding the efforts of cities such as San Francisco that are seeking power independence. Now, they’re pressing Newsom to …

PG&E Is Already Starting Fires Again, Just Weeks Into the Season

Just a few weeks into California’s dry summer season, fires linked to Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. have already started to break out. More than 2,000 acres burned in Monterey County this week, with power lines blamed as the cause. …