California officials propose insurance to cover wildfire costs

Two officials in California on Thursday proposed that the state get private insurance to cover costs during bad wildfire seasons. 

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Treasurer Fiona Ma proposed that lawmakers permit the state to get private insurance coverage rather than self-insuring, according to the Associated Press.

{mosads}“It works just like your home insurance, but for our actual state,” Lara said. 

Ma told the AP in a statement that getting insurance would stabilize California’s budget and make wildfire costs more predictable.

State Senator Bill Dodd, who also supports getting private insurance for California, added that the insurance could also potentially be used for other disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.

Deadly wildfires swept through northern and southern California last year. The Camp Fire in Northern California killed more than 80 people and destroyed thousands of structures. The Woolsey Fire in Southern California also killed three people and destroyed thousands of buildings.

If California did get insurance, it would be following the models of Oregon, the World Bank and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the AP. 

California has outspent its emergency budget in seven of the last 10 years, according to the AP. The state spent almost $950 million two years ago on wildfires and $677 million last year, the AP reported.