For years, Southern Californians have complained about being dropped by their insurance companies, for seemingly no other reason than because they live in areas prone to wildfires.
But it’s something that around 750,000 people who live in the areas affected by the recent Airport, Bridge and Line fires won’t have to worry about for another year, thanks to a moratorium announced Thursday by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.
The decision will shield those living within the perimeters or adjoining zip codes of the fires from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the governor’s emergency declarations, regardless of whether they suffered a loss.
The moratorium will last for 12 months from the date of the declaration of emergency.
“It’s temporary, but it’s important because so many people have been dropped,” said Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller.
“If you’ve just been through an ordeal like hundreds of thousands of people have in Southern California, or had to evacuate your home, the last thing you should be thinking about is, ‘Am I going to have insurance?'”