Insurance director warns wildfire, reinsurance pressure are tightening Idaho market; seeks hires and mitigation pool

Dean Cameron, director of the Idaho Department of Insurance, told the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee on Jan. 21 that the agency’s FY2026 budget request includes staffing and equipment aimed at actuarial review, regulatory compliance and fire‑safety response while the department manages market stress from large wildfires and reinsurance cost increases.

Cameron said the department is seeking four enhancement items for FY2026, including an ongoing staff actuary position (one FTP, $201,900 total with $198,900 for personnel and a $3,000 one‑time equipment request), a regulatory compliance specialist budgeted at an equivalent of $41.03 per hour (80% of policy, pay grade O), a $48,100 ongoing compensation increase for the state fire marshal and deputies (including $38,100 for salaries and $10,000 for variable benefits), and $162,200 in one‑time capital outlays for the State Fire Marshal (including $10,000 for fire turnout gear, $16,200 for cameras and $136,000 for two medium‑duty pickup trucks equipped for fieldwork).

Why it matters: Cameron told the committee that recent catastrophic fires nationally and in Idaho, together with rising reinsurance and construction costs, have tightened the property…