Wildfire coverage and availability (California)
A guide to wildfire coverage and availability (california): what it covers, what it excludes, what actually goes wrong, what reduces it, and what an underwriter asks. Every statement cites a published source.
Overview
What this line is, and who or what it is designed to protect.
Wildfire is not a policy you buy. It is a peril the residential property form already covers, and the questions that actually arise are about availability rather than coverage: whether the policy will be renewed, what notice is owed before it is not, what protection follows a declared emergency, and what the insurer of last resort does and does not include. California answers all four in statute and in published regulator material [2][1][5].
The dwelling against fire as a peril, under the residential property policy already in force rather than under a separate wildfire policy
A policyholder against losing cover at renewal without warning, through a notice regime with stated periods and stated reasons [2]
A residential policyholder in an affected ZIP Code against cancellation or nonrenewal for one year after a declared emergency, based solely on the wildfire [1]
A policyholder who suffered a total loss, through renewal obligations running at least 24 months from the loss [1]
An applicant who cannot find cover in the traditional market, through the FAIR Plan as a last resort [7]
What it covers
Each note carries a policy-form caveat, because what a form covers is read in that form.
A one-year moratorium after a declared emergency
An insurer shall not cancel or refuse to renew a policy of residential property insurance for a property in any ZIP Code within or adjacent to the fire perimeter, for one year after the declaration of a state of emergency, based solely on the fact that the insured structure is in an area where a wildfire occurred [1]. It reaches policyholders who suffered no loss at all as well as those who did [4].
A defined way of deciding which ZIP Codes are protected
The fire perimeter is determined by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, which supplies perimeter data to the commissioner, who then issues a bulletin telling insurers which ZIP Codes are subject to the subdivision [1][4].
Renewal obligations after a total loss
Where a total loss to the primary insured residence results from a disaster and was not caused by the policyholder's negligence, the insurer must offer renewal for at least the next two annual renewal periods, and no less than 24 months of coverage from the date of loss [1].
Adjustment of the policy while rebuilding
Following a total loss the insurer must adjust coverage limits, issue additional policies or attach endorsements reflecting changes in exposure, and may not cancel during rebuilding except on specified statutory grounds or based solely on the damaged condition of the property [1].
Notice before a policy is not renewed
At least 45 days before expiration the insurer must deliver or mail either an offer of renewal stating the premium and disclosing any reduction of limits or elimination of coverage, or a notice of nonrenewal; and for policies expiring on or after July 1, 2020 a nonrenewal notice must be given at least 75 days before expiration [2].
A reason you are entitled to read
A notice of nonrenewal must contain the specific reason or reasons for the nonrenewal [2].
What it excludes
Exclusions and limitations as the published forms state them.
Commercial and industrial risks, from this article
Section 675 applies the article to policies other than automobile and workers compensation insurance, and does not reach policies primarily insuring risks arising from the conduct of a commercial or industrial enterprise [3].
Cases where the insured made the risk worse
The section 675.1 protections do not apply where the named insured commits willful or grossly negligent acts or omissions materially increasing any of the risks insured against, where unrelated losses render the risk ineligible, or where physical or risk changes make the property uninsurable [1].
Water damage and earth movement, on the FAIR Plan dwelling form
The published sample dwelling property policy excludes earth movement, meaning earthquake, landslide, mine subsidence and mudflow among others, and excludes water damage meaning flood, surface water, waves, tidal water and overflow of a body of water [9].
Liability, theft and additional living expenses, from the FAIR Plan's limited fire policy
The regulator describes the current residential offering as a limited fire policy and directs policyholders wanting water damage, liability, theft, additional living expenses and other common coverages to a Difference in Conditions policy [5].
Difference in Conditions and flood, from the FAIR Plan itself
The Plan states that it does not offer those coverages [8], so the companion policy has to come from somewhere else.
What goes wrong
The loss drivers, as distinct from what the policy protects. This is the question an underwriter is asking.
A nonrenewal that arrives with no reason attached
The statute requires the notice to contain the specific reason or reasons for the nonrenewal [2]. A notice that does not is not merely unhelpful; it does not meet the section, and the section also fixes what happens when notice is not properly given.
Assuming the moratorium requires having been burned
It does not. The protection reaches residential policyholders within the affected areas who suffered less than a total loss, including those who suffered no loss at all [4], because it attaches to location rather than to damage.
Treating a FAIR Plan policy as a replacement for what was lost
The residential offering is a limited fire policy, and the regulator directs policyholders who want water damage, liability, theft and additional living expenses to a separate Difference in Conditions policy [5]. Moving to the Plan without one leaves several ordinary coverages absent.
Two perils that arrive together and are covered apart
The FAIR Plan dwelling form excludes both earth movement and water damage [9]. Debris flow after a burn scar is the case where that matters most, and it is a mudflow rather than a fire.
A rebuild that outlives the policy
The statute answers this only where there was a qualifying total loss, requiring renewal for at least two annual periods and no less than 24 months from the loss [1]. A partial loss with a long rebuild does not carry that protection.
Being outside the article without realising
Section 675 does not reach policies primarily insuring risks arising from the conduct of a commercial or industrial enterprise [3], so a property held commercially is answered by different rules than a home.
What reduces it
Things you can do, each tied to a source. None of these is a promise about price; whether an insurer credits any of them is an underwriting decision.
Read the nonrenewal notice for its stated reason and its date
Both are required: the specific reason or reasons must appear, and the notice must be delivered or mailed at least 75 days before expiration for policies expiring on or after July 1, 2020 [2].
Ask the broker to document the search of the traditional market
The Plan states that a broker performs a diligent search for comprehensive coverage and that where cover is available in the traditional marketplace the Plan is not right for the applicant [7].
Read the FAIR Plan form rather than assuming it matches what you had
The sample dwelling property policy is published, and its general exclusions for earth movement and water damage are stated in it [9].
Underwriting
Information commonly requested. Common practice rather than a filed requirement.
Whether the property sits in a ZIP Code the commissioner's bulletin lists as within or adjacent to a fire perimeter [1]
Whether a state of emergency has been declared and when, since the moratorium runs one year from that date [1]
Whether the policy is residential property insurance as the section defines it, by reference to subdivision (a) of Section 10087 [1]
Whether the risk is commercial or industrial, which takes it outside the article entirely [3]
The policy expiration date, from which both notice periods are counted [2]
Whether a diligent search of the traditional market has been made, which is what the FAIR Plan expects before an application [7]
Whether a Difference in Conditions policy is in place alongside any FAIR Plan cover [5]
Limits and endorsements
How the limit is structured, and the endorsements that change it.
There is no separate wildfire limit on a residential policy. The dwelling limit and the loss settlement basis govern, and those are questions for the homeowners line rather than this page.
The periods are the numbers that matter here. Forty-five days before expiration for an offer of renewal or a notice of nonrenewal [2].
Seventy-five days before expiration for a notice of nonrenewal on policies expiring on or after July 1, 2020 [2].
Where the insurer fails to give the required notice, the existing policy with no change in its terms and conditions remains in effect for the corresponding period from the date the notice is finally delivered or mailed [2].
At least two annual renewal periods, and no less than 24 months from the date of loss, following a qualifying total loss [1].
Nothing that makes wildfire a separate purchase
Fire is a peril of the underlying residential form. What varies is whether that form is available and on what terms, which is what the statutes on this page address [2].
By state
Where a state changes the answer. Only the states read for this page appear.
CA
Every provision here is Californian. The moratorium mechanism in section 675.1, the 45 and 75 day notice periods in section 678, and the FAIR Plan's structure as an insurer of last resort are state law and state institutions [1][2][7]. The regulator has also finalised a wildfire catastrophe modelling regulation permitting forward-looking models, and states that homeowners insurers must increase writing in wildfire distressed areas to no less than 85 percent of their statewide share [6].
Source ledger
Every numbered marker in this guide resolves to a record below. Each record lists the exact claims it supports, and each claim has its own address.
Source ledger
10 sources. Every citation number above resolves to a record below. Nothing here sits behind an account.
- [1]California Insurance Code Section 675.1 (post-disaster cancellation and nonrenewal limits for residential property insurance)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative Counsel)California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselPrimary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended by legislation, and the operative facts change with each emergency proclamation; re-check leginfo and the current CDI moratorium ZIP code lists before each publication cycle.ID
ca-ins-code-675-1What this source supports (7)
- California Insurance Code Section 675.1 provides that an insurer shall not cancel or refuse to renew a policy of residential property insurance for a property located in any ZIP Code within or adjacent to the fire perimeter, for one year after the declaration of a state of emergency, based solely on the fact that the insured structure is located in an area in which a wildfire has occurred.
- Where a total loss to the primary insured residence results from a disaster as defined in subdivision (b) of Civil Code Section 1689.14 and was not caused by the policyholder's negligence, Section 675.1 requires the insurer to offer renewal for at least the next two annual renewal periods, but no less than 24 months of coverage from the date of the loss.
- Section 675.1 requires insurers, following a total loss to the primary insured residence, to adjust coverage limits, issue additional policies, or attach endorsements reflecting changes in exposure, and bars cancellation during rebuilding except for specified statutory reasons or based solely on the damaged condition of the property.
- The Section 675.1 protections do not apply where the named insured commits willful or grossly negligent acts or omissions materially increasing any of the risks insured against, where unrelated losses render the risk ineligible, or where physical or risk changes make the property uninsurable.
- The page carries the note 'Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 618, Sec. 1.5. (SB 894) Effective January 1, 2019.'
- Section 675.1(b)(2) provides that the fire perimeter is determined by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, that the department provides the commissioner with perimeter data, and that the commissioner then issues a bulletin to inform insurers which ZIP Codes are subject to the subdivision.
- Section 675.1(d) provides that for purposes of the section, policy of residential property insurance has the meaning described in subdivision (a) of Section 10087.
Merged with the duplicate record ins-675-1 on 2026-09-06. That record covered the same section and added two facts this one lacked: how the fire perimeter is fixed under subdivision (b)(2), and the definition cross-reference in subdivision (d). Both are appended above; everything else it held was already recorded here. Effective: 2019-01-01
Active - [2]California Insurance Code Section 678 (offer of renewal or notice of nonrenewal)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative Counsel)California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselPrimary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended by legislation; re-check leginfo before each publication cycle.ID
ca-ins-code-678What this source supports (6)
- California Insurance Code Section 678(a) requires an insurer, at least 45 days before the policy expiration, to deliver to the named insured or mail to the named insured at the address shown in the policy either an offer of renewal of the policy contingent upon payment of premium as stated in the offer, or a notice of nonrenewal.
- The renewal offer under Section 678 must state the premium and must disclose any reduction of limits or elimination of coverage.
- Section 678(b) provides that if the insurer fails to give the required notice, the existing policy, with no change in its terms and conditions, remains in effect for 45 days from the date the offer to renew or the notice of nonrenewal is delivered or mailed.
- For policies expiring on or after July 1, 2020, Section 678(c) requires the notice of nonrenewal to be delivered or mailed at least 75 days before the policy expiration, with a corresponding 75-day continuation of the existing policy if the notice is not timely given.
- The page carries the note '(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 424, Sec. 8. (SB 1242) Effective January 1, 2023.)'
- Section 678 requires that a notice of nonrenewal contain the specific reason or reasons for the nonrenewal.
Merged with the duplicate record ins-678 on 2026-09-06. The only fact it held that this record did not is the requirement that a nonrenewal notice state its specific reasons, which is appended above. Effective: 2023-01-01
Active - [3]California Insurance Code Section 675 (application of the article on cancellation and nonrenewal)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative Counsel)California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselPrimary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended by legislation; re-check leginfo before each publication cycle.ID
ca-ins-code-675What this source supports (3)
- California Insurance Code Section 675(a) applies the article to policies of insurance, other than automobile insurance and workers' compensation insurance, on risks located or resident in this state, covering damage to residential property of not more than four dwelling units, personal property within such residences, and personal liability.
- Section 675 excludes automobile insurance and workers' compensation insurance from the article's scope.
- Section 675(a)(3) does not reach policies primarily insuring risks arising from the conduct of a commercial or industrial enterprise.
Active - [4]Mandatory One Year Moratorium on Non-Renewals (consumer page)(opens the original record on California Department of Insurance)California Department of InsuranceRegulatorPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Updated by the Department as new wildfire emergencies are declared and new moratorium bulletins are issued.ID
cdi-moratoriumWhat this source supports (5)
- The Department of Insurance states that the one year moratorium on insurance cancellations and non-renewals is authorized under California Insurance Code section 675.1.
- The Department states that the protection from cancellation or non-renewal lasts for one year from the date of the Governor's emergency declaration.
- The Department states that this one year protection applies to all residential policyholders within the affected areas who suffer less than a total loss, including those who suffer no loss.
- The Department states that it coordinates with CAL FIRE and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services to identify wildfire perimeters and adjacent ZIP Codes within the mandatory moratorium areas.
- The page describes residential property insurance policies and does not describe commercial policies.
Active - [5]California FAIR Plan (consumer information page)(opens the original record on California Department of Insurance)California Department of InsuranceRegulatorPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Updated by the Department as FAIR Plan products and orders change; the comprehensive policy status in particular should be re-checked.ID
cdi-fair-planWhat this source supports (4)
- The Department of Insurance states that the FAIR Plan is available to California residents and businesses in urban and rural areas who cannot obtain insurance through a regular insurance company.
- The page refers to the FAIR Plan's current residential offering as the current limited fire policy.
- The page states that policyholders who want coverage for water damage, liability, theft, additional living expenses, and other common coverages should visit the Difference in Conditions web page and contact the insurance companies listed.
- The page states that the comprehensive residential policy option is currently in progress, and that when completed policyholders will be able to obtain those coverages without having to purchase a separate Difference in Conditions policy.
Active - [6]Commissioner Lara issues landmark regulation to expand insurance access for Californians amid growing climate risks (Release 065-2024)(opens the original record on California Department of Insurance)California Department of InsuranceRegulatorPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Re-verify against the adopted regulation text and any subsequent amendments.ID
cdi-cat-model-2024What this source supports (3)
- The Department states that Commissioner Lara announced on December 13, 2024 that he had finalized a wildfire catastrophe modeling regulation, which permits the use of forward-looking catastrophe models in ratemaking.
- The Department states that all homeowners insurance companies must increase the writing of comprehensive policies in wildfire distressed areas equivalent to no less than 85 percent of their statewide market share.
- The Department describes the net cost of reinsurance in ratemaking regulation announced in this December 30, 2024 release as the final major element of the reform package, and uses the phrase Sustainable Insurance Strategy for the overall effort.
Published: 2024-12-30
Active - [7]How to Apply - The California FAIR Plan(opens the original record on California FAIR Plan Association)California FAIR Plan AssociationCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Re-verify when the Plan revises its application process.ID
ca-fair-plan-how-to-applyWhat this source supports (5)
- The California FAIR Plan states that insurance agents and brokers may have access to property insurers other than the California FAIR Plan.
- The California FAIR Plan states that the applicant's broker will perform a diligent search for comprehensive coverage in the traditional insurance market.
- The California FAIR Plan states that if coverage is not available with another company, the broker can help the applicant determine if the California FAIR Plan is available as a temporary solution.
- The California FAIR Plan states that if coverage is available in the traditional marketplace, the California FAIR Plan is not right for the applicant.
- The How to Apply page repeats the Plan's description of itself as an insurer of last resort, established by statute to provide basic property insurance to Californians statewide when no other option is reasonably available.
Active - [8]Policies - The California FAIR Plan(opens the original record on California FAIR Plan Association)California FAIR Plan AssociationCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Programs change; re-verify at least quarterly.ID
ca-fair-plan-policiesWhat this source supports (4)
- The California FAIR Plan Policies page describes its Dwelling program as coverage for owner or tenant occupied dwellings with up to 4 family units and personal property for renters and condo owners.
- The Policies page describes its Commercial program as business owned buildings including habitational units, retail mercantile, manufacturing risks, farms, wineries, and office buildings, and individual owned habitational buildings with 5 or more units.
- The Policies page describes Earthquake coverage for individually owned residential properties and personal property of tenants and condo owners through the California Earthquake Authority.
- The Policies page states, with respect to Difference in Conditions and Flood coverage, that the California FAIR Plan does not offer these coverages.
Active - [9]Sample Dwelling Property Policy, Form CFP 00 01 (05/2026)(opens the original record on California FAIR Plan Association)California FAIR Plan AssociationCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: The FAIR Plan revises and refiles its forms periodically; this edition is designated 05/2026 and is published on the FAIR Plan site as the dwelling fire policy effective 3-17-26.ID
cfp-dwelling-property-policy-formWhat this source supports (5)
- The document is headed 'SAMPLE DWELLING PROPERTY POLICY' under the California FAIR Plan Association masthead, runs 17 pages, and every page footer reads 'CFP 00 01 (05/2026) Includes copyrighted material of Insurance Services Office, Inc., with its permission.'
- General Exclusion 2 reads: 'Earth Movement, meaning earthquake, including land shock waves or tremors before, during or after a volcanic eruption; landslide; mine subsidence; mudflow; earth sinking, rising or shifting; unless direct loss by: a. fire; or b. explosion; ensues and then we will pay only for the ensuing loss.'
- General Exclusion 3 reads: 'Water Damage, meaning: a. flood, surface water, waves, tidal water, overflow of a body of water, or spray from any of these, whether or not driven by wind; b. water which backs up through sewers or drains or which overflows from a sump; or c. water below the surface of the ground, including water which exerts pressure on or seeps or leaks through a building, sidewalk, driveway, foundation, swimming pool or other structure.' It then states: 'Direct loss by fire or explosion resulting from water damage is covered.'
- Peril Insured Against 9 reads: 'Volcanic Eruption other than loss caused by earthquake, land shock waves or tremors.'
- This is a dwelling fire form published by the California FAIR Plan Association, not a homeowners form and not a private carrier's filed homeowners form.
Replaces the CFP 00 01 (07/2017) document cited in the draft, which is a superseded edition. Fetched 2026-08-31; WebFetch could not parse the PDF inline, so the saved file was extracted with pdftotext and the GENERAL EXCLUSIONS and PERILS INSURED AGAINST sections were read directly. Cited as one published California residential property form, not as universal wording. effectiveDate 2026-03-17 comes from the file name the FAIR Plan uses for this document on its own dwelling policies page. Effective: 2026-03-17
Active - [10]California Insurance Code Section 10091 (basic property insurance definitions; FAIR Plan Association)(opens the original record on California Legislative Counsel (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov))California Legislative Counsel (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)Primary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended only by legislation.ID
ca-ins-code-10091What this source supports (1)
- California Insurance Code section 10091(a) defines 'Association,' 'industry placement facility,' or 'facility' to mean a joint reinsurance association, the California FAIR Plan Association, formed by insurers licensed to write and engaged in writing basic property insurance within the state to assist persons in securing basic property insurance and to formulate and administer a program for the equitable apportionment among insurers of basic property insurance.
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