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State insurance official urges wildfire mitigation, outlines programs to help homeowners
Summary
A California Department of Insurance representative briefed the Lake Forest City Council on wildfire-mitigation tools, proposed legislation, and community certification programs intended to improve insurability and lower rates.
A representative of the California Department of Insurance on Oct. 7 told the Lake Forest City Council the agency is promoting homeowner- and community-level wildfire mitigation to help homeowners obtain insurance and reduce premiums.
Brenda Caloca, a Department of Insurance representative, described the department’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, the Safer from Wildfires framework and three levels of protection homeowners can pursue: individual home hardening, immediate-property mitigation, and community risk-reduction certification. “If you do your efforts, you get the opportunity for better rates and, number 1, become insurable,” Caloca said, explaining that insurers use catastrophe models and risk scores to evaluate and price wildfire risk.
Caloca said homeowners can request their insurance company for a current risk score. She also outlined state legislative efforts on the governor’s desk, singling out three bills: AB 888 (California Safe Homes Act), a tax-free home-hardening grant program; SB 547 (Business Insurance Protection Act), which would protect businesses and nonprofits from nonrenewal or cancellation under certain conditions; and SB 495 (referred to as the “eliminate the list” act), which would increase default personal-contents coverage from 30% to 60% when homeowners do not provide an inventory list.
Caloca noted existing local resources and partners including Firewise councils and the Orange County Fire Authority for home and community assessments, and she provided contact information and department webinars for city and community partners who want to become official program partners. Council members asked how Firewise certification works for neighborhoods; Caloca said a community must have at least eight dwelling units and create an action plan to qualify for risk-reduction certification.
No public commenters addressed the presentation. Council members thanked Caloca and noted they hoped the information would help residents facing rising premiums or cancellation.
