Armed with higher rates — and better information about the risks from mega-fires — (Insurers are) beginning to underwrite policies in areas they’d been abandoning.
Several major carriers are offering discounts to encourage homeowners to install fire-resilient roofs, clean the brush from their yards and take other safety measures.
“What I’m sensing from the insurance companies is that it’s very hard to say no to the largest insurance market in the nation,” said Attila Toth, chief executive of Zesty.ai, a Bay Area tech company that’s partnered with Farmers Insurance Group to analyze risk and expand coverage. “Many of them are now saying, ‘How do I write business but in an intelligent way?’ ”
“We have an understanding that (insurers) need the ability to cover their losses,” said Staci Heaton, of the Rural Counties organization. “Folks in rural areas, they know they’re going to have to pay more for insurance.”