The East Bay Times just published an interesting article that discusses the impact of CA’s new proposed fire maps on the cost of house insurance: California’s new fire maps won’t push up insurance rates, industry says – East Bay Times.
CalFire has been rolling out, over several months, new proposed moderate, high and very-high fire hazards maps: 2025-02-25 CalFire publishes new wildfire severity maps for Alameda County. Homeowners are anxious: will these new fire maps increase the cost of house insurance in California for those whose houses are included in higher severity maps?
The article’s response, according to the industry, is NO:
'Insurance trade groups, consumer advocates and state fire and insurance officials were unanimous in this answer: insurance companies have their own maps, or rely on private providers. And those maps are more detailed and up-to-date than the new Cal Fire hazard zones.
“The Cal Fire maps are not what we use to look at our risk,” said Janet Ruiz, Western U.S. representative for the Insurance Information Institute, a national insurance trade association.’
As for new requirements from insurance companies, insurance brokers say that they are already happening anyway:
'Brush clearance and maintaining defensible space also isn’t new for residents in new fire zones, added Robyn Robinson, a Dana Point real estate agent who sells in San Juan Capistrano. Lenders and insurance companies have required such measures as a condition for renewals.
“We’ve already been experiencing it,” Robinson said. “It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating. But it is not any different than what we’ve been experiencing the last couple of years.” ’
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