State insurance commissioner will hear about wildfire coverage woes in Sonora
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will visit Sonora on Thursday to hear from homeowners struggling to keep their fire coverage.
Lara and two state lawmakers will take part in a 6 p.m. town hall at the Sonora Opera Hall, 250 South Washington St.
Major wildfires around the state in recent years have prompted many insurers to boost premiums or cancel policies in high-risk areas.
The town hall is one of a few that the commissioner is holding in affected areas of the state. He said in Grass Valley last week that his department has seen a 600 percent increase since 2010 in complaints about canceled policies.
A resident of Cedar Ridge, a forested spot in Tuolumne County, talked about her experience last month.
“I’m frustrated and I’m scared,” Ronda Davish told The Modesto Bee’s Mackenzie Shuman. “This is becoming a financial burden I don’t know if we can handle.”
The premium for her 900-square-foot home went from $800 to $2,300 over three years.
Thursday’s event will feature state Assemblyman Frank Bigelow and state Senator Andreas Borgeas. Both are Republicans whose vast districts take in Tuolumne County.
“I appreciate the insurance commissioner’s willingness to provide an update on this important issue,” Borgeas said in a news release.
He and Bigelow serve the insurance committees in their chambers.
