California's insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, has issued an emergency notice to all property and casualty insurance companies doing business in California, requesting that they expedite claims handling for California wildfire survivors.

"I have met with many wildfire survivors since taking office, and they need immediate help to start the rebuilding process, not red tape and unnecessary paperwork that adds to their problems," Commissioner Lara said in a statement. "These expedited claims handling procedures will give policyholders the help they need, and I urge insurers to do the right thing for these survivors."

Commissioner Lara asked insurance companies to provide greater flexibility to survivors affected by wildfires across the state with some deadlines and documentation typically required to pay claims, including:

• Minimum four-month advance payment of loss of use, fair rental value, or additional living expenses;
• Minimum 60-day billing grace period to allow for lost or destroyed renewal notices;
• Advance payment of at least 25 percent of policy limits for personal property – without the completion of an inventory;
• Accepting any inventory form that contains substantially the same information as a company-specific form;
• Accepting an inventory that includes groupings of personal property, such as clothing, shoes, books, or food items rather than listing individual item;
• Expediting payment of vehicle damage claims covered under comprehensive loss coverage; and
• Cooperating with consolidated debris removal efforts coordinated through city, county, and state agencies, unless the insurer can provide more rapid debris removal outside of this effort.

The California Department of Insurance issued similar notices after other devastating fires, including the Camp, Woolsey, and Hill fires in 2018.