It was this story originally published by KABCA television network owned and operated by ABC.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is telling residents damaged or destroyed by wildfires this week not to sign anything immediately: to be patient.
A powerful wind storm hit Southern California on Tuesday quickly caused fires throughout the regionforcing thousands of people to evacuate and burning about 23,000 hectares.
David Muir anchors a special edition of “20/20” with ongoing coverage of the deadly wildfires in California. “American Catastrophe: LA Burning — A Special Edition of 20/20” premieres tonight at 9/8c on ABC.
The fires have destroyed at least 1,100 structures, officials said.
In this aerial view taken from a helicopter, charred homes are seen from above during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 9, 2025.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Lara stressed in a live interview with ABC7 that you must enter safety first, stay away from the disaster area and don’t make any hasty decisions. There is a three-day cooling-off period before residents have to make any decisions with a public adjuster.
“What we’ve seen a lot of times, unfortunately, over the course of several fires in the state over the years, is you start to see out-of-state adjusters come in, you know, try to make a deal with the homeowners, you know, ‘We can give you 70 percent of what you’re entitled to when you’re actually entitled to 100 percent, or depending on what your policy says,” Lara explained about the vulnerability of people. cheating during these stressful and traumatic times.
By pausing and waiting to sign, people can catch a potential scam before it’s too late. Lara said people can call the insurance department to verify the insurance adjuster’s license. He also advised people to call their insurance company before signing anything with an adjuster.
“We ask people to call our department, not to sign anything under pressure,” said Lara. “This is a very traumatic time… and we want to let them know, please watch out for the scam, don’t sign anything and we’re here to help you through the whole process.”
In this aerial view taken from a helicopter, burned homes are seen from above during the Palisades fire in Malibu, Los Angeles County, California on January 9, 2025.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Lara stressed that people should call the California Department of Insurance. They have live operators on the phone who will help you solve your problems. You can contact them at 1-800-927-4357 or visit them insurance.ca.gov.
“It’s very important to know that you have someone on your side,” Lara said. “The department is here to be your advocate during this very stressful and traumatizing time for our community.”
When trying to figure out your insurance coverage, Lara said the most important thing you need is a copy of your home insurance policy.
“You also need to consider your extra living expenses, the limits in your policy and keep track of all your extra expenses,” he added. “And you need to make sure you document every conversation with your insurer or an adjuster.”
As wildfires across the state have become more widespread and destructive, insurance companies have begun eliminating coverage for homeowners in fire-prone areas or raising policy rates significantly. Lara told ABC7 there is a law in place does not allow insurance companies to withdraw coverage To areas within a year of a fire, giving businesses and families time to make decisions about their future.
See if you’re protected or if your zip code is entered moratorium not to renew here.
Another way to keep insurance companies in communities is to reduce the risk of fire damage to your home, Lara said. Homeowners can do this by bringing the house up to code, updating the roof and making the house fire resistant.
Learn more here by fortifying your house from fires.
