Bulletin 2026-6: Gann Fire: Mandatory Moratorium on Cancellations and Non-Renewals of Policies of Residential and Commercial Property Insurance After the Declaration of a State of Emergency

BULLETIN 2026-6, issued by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on August 14, 2026, to all admitted and non-admitted insurers writing residential or commercial property insurance in California. Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s August 6, 2026 emergency declaration for Calaveras County due to the Gann Fire, the bulletin mandates a one-year moratorium on cancellations and non-renewals of residential and commercial property insurance policies within or adjacent to the fire perimeter. Pursuant to Insurance Code section 675.1(b)(1) as enacted by SB 824 (Lara, 2018), no insurer shall cancel or refuse to renew a policy of residential property insurance for property located in any ZIP Code within or adjacent to the fire perimeter for one year after the declaration of a state of emergency based solely on wildfire risk. The bulletin lists 22 affected ZIP Codes (95221, 95252, 95254, 95320, 95327, 95361, 95370, 95640, 95642, and others). For the first time, commercial property insurance policies (including HOAs, apartment complexes, and senior living facilities) are included under SB 547, the Business Insurance Protection Act. Insurers must offer to rescind any notices of cancellation or non-renewal issued due to wildfire risk since the emergency declaration and reinstate policies.