Commissioner Lara protects thousands of Californians in Mono and Inyo counties from non-renewals following Pack Fire

News: 2025 Press Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today ordered insurance companies to preserve residential property insurance coverage for more than 14,800 policyholders affected by the Pack Fire after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an emergency declaration on December 9. The Commissioner’s Bulletin shields those living within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP Codes of the wildfire from insurance
non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the Governor’s emergency declaration regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

“I am acting to protect Sierra foothill residents who have already been through a lot. Nobody should worry about losing their insurance coverage after going through a wildfire emergency,” said Commissioner Lara. “This protection is needed now as we bring back insurance options to all parts of our state for those who need them the most.”  

Under Commissioner Lara’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, six insurance companies, including four of the state’s top homeowners carriers – Farmers, Mercury, CSAA, USAA, Pacific Specialty, and California Casualty – have announced they are staying and growing in parts of the state affected by wildfires. The Commissioner’s ability to issue moratoriums is a result of a California law he authored in 2018 while serving as state senator in order to provide temporary relief from insurance non-renewals and cancellations to residents living within or adjacent to a gubernatorial-declared wildfire disaster.

Since 2019, under this residential moratorium law, Commissioner Lara’s actions have protected more than 4 million homeowners. Consumers who were non-renewed prior to the emergency declaration date and are unable to obtain insurance or are dissatisfied with their current coverage should contact the California Department of Insurance for assistance in understanding their options and tools.

In addition, earlier this year, Commissioner Lara sponsored the Business Insurance Protection Act (Pérez and Rubio, SB 547, Chapter 547, Statutes of 2025), a new law that will broaden the existing insurance moratorium to include businesses, homeowners’ and condominium associations, affordable housing, senior living facilities, and non-profits. SB 547 will go into effect on January 1, 2026.

Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP Code is included in the moratorium. Consumers also should contact the Department at 800-927-4357 or via online chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.

Commissioner Lara’s major wildfire-related actions since taking office in 2019 include:

• Implementing California’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, the largest insurance reform since voters passed Proposition 103 in 1988. This new strategy is a comprehensive approach to modernizing California’s insurance market by improving insurance choices for consumers, creating a resilient insurance market, and protecting communities from climate threats, while addressing the long-term sustainability of the nation’s largest insurance market.
• Creating “Safer from Wildfires,” a new insurance framework that incorporates wildfire safety measures to help save lives while making homes and businesses more resilient. Safer from Wildfires was created by a first-ever partnership between the Department and the emergency and preparedness agencies in the Governor’s Administration, including the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), the then-Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Public Utilities Commission.
• Finalizing new regulations to incorporate Safer from Wildfires in insurance pricing, driving down costs for consumers who have taken actions to protect their communities while increasing transparency about their home’s or business’s “wildfire risk score.”
• Sponsoring new insurance protections signed into law by the Governor — despite opposition from insurance companies — that will mean larger payouts for some claims, less red tape from insurance companies, and more help for people under evacuation orders.
• Expanding residential and commercial coverage limits for the first time in 25 years to keep pace with increased costs.   

Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency declarations, the Department of Insurance partners with CAL FIRE and CalOES, pursuant to existing statute, to identify wildfire perimeters for mandatory moratorium areas. The Department will continue to collaborate with CAL FIRE and CalOES to identify additional wildfire perimeters for any fires where there is a gubernatorial declaration of a state of emergency.

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Media Notes:

• On December 9, 2025, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Mono County due to the Pack Fire.
• While existing law prevents non-renewals and cancellations for those who suffer a total loss in areas subject to a declared disaster, the 2018 law established protection for those living within or adjacent to a declared wildfire emergency whether they suffer a loss or not — recognizing for the first time in law the disruption that non-renewals cause in communities following wildfire disasters. Homeowners who suffered a total property loss have up to 24 months of protection from non-renewal or cancellation.
• One adjoining zip code – 93514 in Inyo County – is included in the moratorium consistent with SB 824.
• Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to find the Commissioner’s Bulletin to see if their ZIP Code is included in this moratorium.