After their fire insurance was cancelled, a 62-year-old woman fought off the Eaton fire to save her 90-year-old parents’ home.
The Context
Wildfires have ravaged Southern California this past week. The Eaton fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas started on Tuesday and has burned 14,117 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Only 15 percent of the fire has been contained, officials said.
The Eaton fire has had a devastating impact on the communities it has burned through with five people dead, 972 structures destroyed and 84 structures damaged, according to CAL FIRE. There have also been five firefighter injuries and 39,428 structures remain threatened, officials said.
Fire engulfs a home as the Eaton fire moves through the area on January 8 in Altadena, California. After their fire insurance was canceled, a 62-year-old woman fought off the Eaton fire to save her 90-year-old parents’ home.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
What To Know
An emergency room nurse from Sierra Madre ran towards the Eaton fire to save her elderly parents’ home in Hastings Ranch from going up in flames after their insurance company dropped their fire insurance, she told Los Angeles’ KABC-TV in a video shared on YouTube on Wednesday.
“I know I’m not supposed to be here, but this is my parents’ home and they just got cancelled from their fire insurance,” the woman said wearing a face mask. “They’ve lived in this house for 75 years and they’ve had the same insurance and these insurance people decided to cancel their fire.”
She sarcastically told the news camera, “Thank you California insurance companies supporting residents who pay taxes and love California,” adding, “They wonder why people leave California.”
The woman, who was born and raised in the Hastings Ranch home, said her parents evacuated to Sierra Madre, and she “snuck” into the evacuation zone to fight the fire with a hose.
“There is a will, there’s a way. Probably shouldn’t do it but you know what, under the circumstances, send me to jail. That’s fine,” she said.
Her parents’ house was still standing during the broadcast.
Which Insurance Companies Cut Coverage in California?
According to the California Department of Insurance (CDI), seven out of 12 of the Golden State’s top insurers—the ones with the biggest market share—cut coverage in the state over the past four years.
As a result, California’s FAIR Plan, which offers fire insurance to those who can’t find it in the traditional market, “is becoming the insurer of first resort, not last resort, for many,” the department said. Currently, the FAIR Plan has a 3 percent market share in the state.
Here is a list of insurers who have canceled or cut their coverage in California since 2022:
- State Farm
- Travelers
- Tokio Marine Holdings
- Nationwide
- Farmers
- USAA
- Allstate
- Chubb
What Have Insurance Companies Said?
A spokesperson for State Farm previously told Newsweek: “Our number one priority right now is the safety of our customers, agents and employees impacted by the fires and assisting our customers in the midst of this tragedy.”
A Nationwide spokesperson previously told Newsweek: “Destruction caused by the southern California wildfires is heartbreaking and we are here for our impacted customers in the area to help them with their recovery. Nationwide has and continues to offer standard homeowner policies in California. In 2024, we discontinued underwriting property policies through Crestbrook Insurance Co., which was a small portion of our overall business.”
A spokesperson for Farmers previously told Newsweek: “We are currently focused on assisting customers who are impacted by the devastating fires and strong winds affecting Southern California. Our specially trained Farmers Catastrophe Response Team members have already begun to provide assistance to customers and we are urging local residents to remain vigilant. The information found in our December 11, 2024, release about increasing coverage availability in California remains accurate.”
A spokesperson for Allstate previously told Newsweek: “Right now, we’re focused on helping our customers recover and rebuild their lives. We’re supporting customers who have filed claims and have teams ready to move into California once it’s safe to help on site. Allstate policyholders affected by the wildfires can file their claim through the Allstate® Mobile app, online, by calling 1-800-54-STORM, or their local agent. We’re here for our customers.”
What Is Governor Gavin Newsom Doing?
When Newsweek asked California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office whether the governor is doing anything to stop insurance companies from dropping people living in areas prone to wildfires, it referred to a news release about Newsom’s September 2023 executive order urging Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to “take action to stabilize and improve California’s property insurance marketplace.”
“It is critical that California’s insurance market works to protect homes and businesses in every corner of our state. A balanced approach that will help maintain fair prices and protections for Californians is essential,” Newsom said in a statement at the time.
Newsom’s office also referred to a news release from June 2024 about a draft regulation Lara announced at the time that would “require that insurers that use new catastrophe modeling must write more policies in distressed areas, with larger insurance companies required to insure properties in distressed areas at a rate equal to 85% of the insurer’s statewide market share.”
Newsom called the draft regulation “another critical action to help fix California’s decades-old insurance crisis.”
Lara announced on Thursday a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance non-renewals and cancellations for residents affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
“I am using my moratorium powers to prevent insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing policies in wildfire-impacted areas, so people don’t face the added stress of finding new insurance during this horrific event. I am working on all fronts to make sure wildfire victims get the benefits they are entitled to, and they get it as soon as possible,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Meghan Daum, the author and host of The Unspeakable Podcast, recently shared her personal experience of losing her home in the Eaton fire, saying, “The scale of these fires is unlike anything we’ve seen.”
“I was sure I was leaving out of an abundance of caution. I’d be back in a few days at most. The next day, I learned that my house and every other house on the street had burned to the ground. The wind was so strong and the water was so scarce that emergency crews and firefighters were virtually helpless in many places. The embers flying around in that wind were like fireballs.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Tuesday, “We are moving rapidly to support state and local law enforcement and firefighters to respond to the Eaton Fire threatening Altadena and Pasadena as extremely critical fire weather continues in Southern California. To all those in the region, remain vigilant and listen to local authorities.
What Happens Next
CAL FIRE said in an update issued Saturday morning that “minimal fire growth was observed today.”
“Priorities for tonight include, maintaining current containment lines and ensuring perimeter control. Firefighters continue defensive operations and construct direct and indirect line where feasible,” the update read.
Evacuation orders for the cities affected by the Eaton fire remain in place.
Update 1/11/25, 1:32 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.