55Mountain View News Saturday, July 18, 2026OPEN 
WINDOWS 
ARE AN OPEN 
INVITATION 
55Mountain View News Saturday, July 18, 2026OPEN 
WINDOWS 
ARE AN OPEN 
INVITATION 
SUPERVISOR KATHRYN BARGER 
HIGHLIGHTS L.A. COUNTY FIRE 
DEPARTMENT'S ENHANCED WILDFIRE 
READINESS AHEAD OF EXTREME HEAT


TO HUNGRY, 
CURIOUS 
BEARS 

(Photo: Sylvia Dolson)
from BearWise 

• Bears have more than a hundred 
times as many smell receptors as 
people do and they can follow 
scents for several miles from the 
source. 
• They often return to where they 
previously found food, whether it’s a berry patch that ripens in July or the trash that goes out every Thursday. 
• One whiff of a mama bear’s breath will teach the cubs to associate the smells of garbage, pet food, bird seed 
and more with easy meals. 
• Instead of learning how to forage in the wild, they learn how to raid garbage cans, knock down bird feeders, 
& empty pet food bowls. 
• Keep people safe, property protected, and bears healthy and wild by blocking or eliminating access to all 
attractants. 
INSURANCE SURGE EXPANDING OPTIONS FOR 
CALIFORNIANS IN WILDFIRE DISTRESSED AREAS 

July 13, 2026 — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is reporting a new surge of insurance filings 
expanding options for Californians in wildfire distressed areas. Companies planning to grow their 
footprint include two of the state’s largest homeowners writers and a brand new entrant to the 
marketplace. These latest announcements show the continuing positive impact of the Sustainable 
Insurance Strategy, with 11 homeowners insurance groups and 2 major commercial insurers of 
businesses, non-profit, and homeowners associations committing to grow in the state. 

More homeowners companies plan to expand

• Liberty Mutual requested the Department’s approval to expand coverage in wildfire distressed 
areas with no additional rate increase for policyholders. California’s 8th-largest homeowners insurance 
group by market share, Liberty Mutual never stopped writing in California. Once approved by the 
Department, Liberty Mutual will grow consumers’ coverage options in areas of wildfire risk through 
independent agents and brokers. 
• USAA will expand access to homeowners insurance for more military members and their 
families across California effective January 2027. The Department had previously approved the state’s 
6th-largest homeowners insurance group for a 6.9% overall rate increase, on par with thousands of 
other rate approvals approved over the past 30 years. 
• MS Transverse Insurance Group, a new entrant to the California homeowners market, received 
the Department’s go-ahead effective July 15. The company, which previously had a small presence in 
California specialty markets, is part of one of the world’s top 10 property-casualty insurance groups.
Companies committing to stay and grow in California include Top 10 insurers Farmers, Mercury, 
Auto Club of Southern California, CSAA, USAA, Liberty Mutual, and Travelers, specialty insurance 
companies Pacific Specialty, California Casualty and Horace Mann, and new entrant MS Transverse – 
11 insurance groups in total, with more expected in coming months.
“We are restoring options for Californians and bringing companies back. One major solution to our 
insurance crisis is greater accountability and transparency in the rate filing process. We have taken a 
multi-prong approach that holds all parties in rate-making accountable: insurers, intervenors, and the 
Department. Consumers are the winners when we put transparency and accountability first.” – 
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara 

Implementation of new regulations yielding results for homeowners and businesses 

Companies’ latest growth moves come weeks after the Department announced a major milestone in its 
efforts to improve its oversight and handling of insurance rates under Prop. 103 – reaching the lowest 
number of pending insurance filings for home, auto, and business coverage since 2014. The increasing 
pace of Department review of insurance company filings means more policy choices are available 
sooner for drivers, businesses, nonprofits, and homeowners. 

Two major commercial insurance companies — Mercury and Zurich — filed their growth plans 
with the Department to expand their coverage for nonprofits, homeowners associations, farmers, 
and businesses. The Department continues to meet with several more homeowners and commercial 
insurance companies on their impending SIS applications. 

The improved outlook is due to a comprehensive set of reforms, including implementing several new 
regulations, hiring and training of Department experts, and requiring insurance companies to submit 
complete data and information used in the rate analysis. 

Steps Forward on Transparency and AccessThe Department’s record during Commissioner Lara’s tenure demonstrates the importance of rigorous 
regulatory oversight. From 2019 through 2025, the Department’s expert review of insurance rate filings 
saved Californians $6.6 billion in premiums and secured $3.3 billion in refunds for drivers during the 
COVID-19 pandemic. 

Commissioner Lara has taken significant steps toward modernizing California’s 35-year-old insurance 
review framework, guided by the goals of improving transparency and access. 

In April 2026, he proposed new regulations that help protect consumers from paying hidden fees and 
require public posting of documents from rate hearings. Intervenors seeking compensation under 
Prop. 103 will be required to provide additional information and documentation to demonstrate 
compliance with these new standards. 

Bottom Line 
California is seeing early, data-driven signs that the insurance market is turning a corner – delivering 
on the promise of a more stable, competitive, and resilient system for homeowners, renters, drivers, 
businesses, and nonprofits. 

Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the 
consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguardsall of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s 
direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that 
are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims,
set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance 

As extreme heat and elevated wildfire 
conditions are forecast across Los 
Angeles County this week, Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger is highlighting the Los 
Angeles County Fire Department's 
proactive efforts to strengthen 
emergency response capabilities and 
urging residents to take precautions to 
reduce wildfire risk. 

The National Weather Service 
is forecasting dangerously high 
temperatures, low humidity, and dry 
vegetation through Thursday, creating 
conditions that increase the potential 
for wildfire. In anticipation, the Los 
Angeles County Fire Department has 
augmented staffing and strategically 
pre-deployed additional firefighting 
resources, including 15 fire engines, 
four water tenders, four hand crews, two 
bulldozers, and additional Fire Dispatch 
personnel. 

Supervisor Barger, whose Fifth 
District includes the County's foothill 
communities and the rural North 
County areas that face some of the 
region's highest wildfire risk, said early 

preparation is critical to protecting lives 
and property.
"When wildfire conditions intensify, 
preparation can make all the difference," 
stated Supervisor Kathryn Barger. 
"I appreciate Fire Chief AnthonyMarrone and the Los Angeles CountyFire Department for taking a proactive 
approach by positioning personnel and 
equipment before conditions worsen. 
Their focus on readiness helps ensure 
our communities are protected and 
emergency resources are ready to 
respond when they're needed most." 

Supervisor Barger also encouraged 
residents to remain weather aware, 
avoid activities that could spark a fire, 
and follow guidance from public safety 
officials throughout the heat event. 

"The Los Angeles County Fire 
Department is doing its part, and we 
all have a role to play in preventing 
wildfires," added Supervisor Barger. "A 
little extra caution during periods of 
extreme heat can go a long way toward 
protecting our neighborhoods." 

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companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. 
Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www. 
insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to theConsumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833. 
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