In Hastings Ranch, a local ER nurse found herself in a heartbreaking situation as the Eaton Fire threatened her elderly parents’ home earlier this week. With the fire raging nearby, her frustration mounted over the cancellation of her parents’ fire insurance just before the disaster struck.
While speaking with ABC7LA outside of her parents home the woman told the outlet, “I know I’m not supposed to be here, but this is my parents’ home. They just got canceled from their fire insurance. So they’re dealing with this…They’re 90 years old. They’ve lived in this house for 75 years. They’ve had the same insurance, and these insurance people decided to cancel their fire. And we’re going through this. And it just happened. And they have no fire insurance.”
She went on to say, “Thank you California insurance companies for supporting residents who pay taxes and love California. They wonder why people leave California,” she expressed, while battling the flames with a garden hose late into the night.
NEW: Woman says her parents’ fire insurance got cancelled shortly before the fires ripped through Southern California.
The woman said she is forced to defend the house herself.
“They got canceled from their fire insurance… They’re 90 years old, they’ve lived in this house for… pic.twitter.com/3mIsmhtnIE
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 8, 2025
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With the fire consuming a nearby home, she fought desperately to save her family’s memories while praying for the neighbors. “There are no words to even describe how heartbreaking … that’s a life. That’s your entire life. You don’t get that back. The memories are gone. I hope they’re alive,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
Tragically, the Eaton Fire has already claimed five lives and has also devastated areas near Altadena and Pasadena.
The situation has left many homeowners, like this nurse’s parents, facing the possibility of rebuilding without the financial support of their insurance. In recent years, numerous insurance companies have pulled back from the California market, citing the increasing risks posed by wildfires.
State Farm, for example, declared in 2023 that it would no longer accept new homeowners-insurance applications in California. Furthermore, the company announced it would stop coverage for 72,000 homes and apartments, primarily due to catastrophic risk concerns. Other insurers have followed suit, dropping coverage even in regions deemed to have lower wildfire risks.
But why? Well as Business Insider quoted Dave Jones, director of the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at UC Berkeley, “When insurance companies face higher losses or payouts, they typically respond in two ways: raise premium prices and stop renewing policies or writing new policies. California insurers are doing both.”
As families like the nurse’s continue to deal with these devastating challenges, the impact of insurance policy changes during wildfire season is becoming increasingly evident.
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