California's insurance crisis deepens amid growing wildfire threats

California homeowners are facing a growing insurance crisis. Even before these latest fires, several of the state's largest insurers either stopped or limited new policies, leaving many struggling to find coverage. Since 2015, California has seen 15 of its most destructive blazes in history, forcing insurance companies to pay out large claims. With many insurers pulling out, the state government started its own insurance program, known as the FAIR Plan. Nearly half-a-million homes are participating, but the plan only offers basic coverage up to 3 million dollars, often not enough to rebuild a house in an area with sky-high property values. State officials are trying to fix this by letting insurers factor climate change into their rates, hoping this will convince companies to return to the market. But premiums may be much higher. David Flandro is the head of industry analysis and strategic advisory at Howden Re, a global reinsurance broker. He says the state authorities need to improve wildfire prevention measures to encourage the insurance industry. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://x.com/ajenglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #US #UnitedStates #LosAngeles #California #PacificPalisades #Wildfire #LAFire #PalisadesFire #EatonFire #HurstFire #LidiaFire #SunsetFire #ScoutFire #Pasadena #Altadena #HollywoodHills #InsuranceCrisis #AlJazeeraEnglish