As California Governor Declares State of Emergency, I.I.I. Experts Are Available to Discuss Insurance Implications of Wildfires

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 6 -- The Insurance Information Institute issued the following news release:

Reporters covering the Southern California wildfires are encouraged to contact the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) for information on insurance coverage and evacuation tips.

Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Southern California and, on Monday, December 4th, mobilized additional firefighting and disaster response resources. Moreover, California authorities have secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist in firefighting efforts, the Office of Emergency Services announced Tuesday morning.

According to Cal OES (the Governor's Office of Emergency Services) there are three large fires and several smaller ones burning in Ventura, Sylmar and Santa Clarita and thousands of people have evacuated.

Janet Ruiz, the I.I.I.'s California representative, and additional spokespeople are available to brief media representatives who are interested in understanding the coverages provided by standard property insurance policies for businesses, homeowners and renters impacted by wildfires. I.I.I. spokespeople can also share information on how to get started with the recovery process, including the following tips:

* If you have evacuated let your insurer know as you may have coverage for additional living expenses.

* Report claims to insurers as soon as possible to get the recovery process started. Many insurance companies have online and mobile claims filing options.

* As soon as local assistance centers are set up, expect insurers to be on the ground to help with additional living expenses and claims filing.

The following online resources are also available to reporters:

* Facts about wildfires (https://www.iii.org/article/facts-about-wildfires)

* Facts + Statistics: Wildfires (https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires)

* Background on: Wildfires (https://www.iii.org/issue-update/background-on-wildfires)

* Insurance for wildfires (https://www.iii.org/article/insurance-for-wildfires)

* Insuring your business: Small Business owner's guide to insurance (https://www.iii.org/publications/insuring-your-business-small-business-owners-guide-to-insurance)