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California Regulator Demands FAIR Plan Justify Smoke Damage Coverage

Commissioner Lara’s order forces the FAIR Plan to defend its limited smoke coverage in a hearing set for mid-August.

Overview

  • Ricardo Lara filed an order to show cause against the FAIR Plan on August 1, marking the first enforcement action since a 2022 market conduct exam identified coverage deficiencies.
  • The order contends that the FAIR Plan’s requirement of “permanent physical damage” has enabled arbitrary denials of smoke damage claims after the Palisades and Eaton fires.
  • As the insurer of last resort for homeowners shut out of the private market, the FAIR Plan provides minimal fire and smoke protection that often leaves policyholders undercompensated.
  • The FAIR Plan must respond at a mid-August hearing or face cease-and-desist orders and potential monetary penalties based on the Department of Insurance’s findings.
  • Consumer groups and fire survivors say the three-year enforcement gap allowed thousands to suffer uncompensated smoke damage, urging immediate policy and remediation reforms.