Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday ordered insurance companies to preserve residential property insurance coverage for approximately 46,000 policyholders affected by the Thompson fire in Butte County after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency declaration on July 3.

The commissioner’s bulletin shields those living within the perimeters or adjoining zip codes of the Thompson fire from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the governor’s emergency declaration regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

“Consumers affected by the Thompson fire should have peace of mind knowing that they get to keep their insurance coverage as they take the time to assess, rebuild, and begin the long recovery process. My top priority is consumer protection for all Californians, and especially vulnerable consumers and disaster survivors,” said Commissioner Lara. “My moratorium order is just one of the many actions that I am taking to provide relief to homeowners while I continue to work with stakeholders and climate experts to address the root causes of these ever-intensifying natural disasters in order to prevent even greater losses.”

The commissioner’s ability to issue moratoriums is a result of a California law he authored in 2018 while serving as state senator in order to provide temporary relief from insurance non-renewals and cancellations to residents living within or adjacent to a gubernatorial-declared wildfire disaster.

Since 2019, Commissioner Lara’s actions have protected nearly 4 million homeowners. Thursday’s order protects an estimated 46,000 policyholders in 18 zip codes for one year, effective July 3, 2024.

Consumers who were non-renewed prior to the emergency declaration date and are unable to obtain insurance or are dissatisfied with their current coverage should contact the California Department of Insurance for assistance in understanding their options and tools.

Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their zip code is included in the moratorium. Consumers should contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or via online chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.