Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to keep residential property insurance coverage for over 64,000 policyholders affected by the Gann Fire. This order follows Governor Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration on August 6.
The order protects homeowners within or near 22 ZIP Codes around the wildfire. Insurance companies cannot cancel or refuse to renew their policies for one year from the emergency declaration date. This protection applies even if the homeowners did not suffer a loss.
For the first time, the moratorium also covers certain commercial property insurance policies. These include policies for homeowners associations, apartment complexes, and senior living facilities used mainly for residential purposes. This change comes after the passage of Senate Bill 547, the Business Insurance Protection Act, sponsored by Commissioner Lara and senators Susan Rubio and Sasha Renée Pérez.
Commissioner Lara said this moratorium gives thousands of Californians relief from losing insurance after wildfire emergencies. He noted that including commercial property policies expands the protection to more residents as they recover from the fire.
Under Lara’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, 11 insurance groups, including seven top homeowners carriers like Farmers, Mercury, and USAA, have pledged to stay and grow coverage in wildfire-affected areas.
The moratorium protected more than 1.2 million homeowners in 2025 under previous residential laws. Homeowners who lost coverage before the emergency or struggle to find insurance can contact the California Department of Insurance for help.
Consumers can check the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP Code is in the moratorium area. They can also call (800) 927-4357 or use online chat or email for questions or to report insurance violations.
Since 2019, Lara has led wildfire-related insurance reforms. He created the Sustainable Insurance Strategy to improve choices and protect communities from climate risks. He developed the “Safer from Wildfires” framework, which ties insurance pricing to wildfire safety measures. This framework rewards homeowners who take steps to reduce wildfire risk with lower premiums.
Lara also pushed for laws that increase insurance payouts and reduce bureaucracy for wildfire victims. He expanded coverage limits at the FAIR Plan for the first time in 25 years to reflect rising costs.
After emergency declarations, the Department of Insurance works with CalFire and CalOES to map wildfire areas for moratorium coverage. They will continue identifying affected zones for future emergencies.
Existing law protects homeowners who suffer total losses from losing coverage for up to 24 months. The current moratorium extends this protection to those living near wildfire areas, even
