With wildfires devastating people in the Los Angeles area, State Farm has announced plans to alleviate some of the pressure residents are facing.
The insurance company has paused its notification process on homeowner non-renewals, allowing customers in Los Angeles County to renew their insurance policies as long as they were on the books by Jan. 7, State Farm said in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday.
Los Angeles County customers can renew with State Farm for another policy term if they’d like, while policyholders in fire zones with total losses can renew for two policy terms, which is required by law, the company said.
Since the wildfires broke out last week, State Farm’s claims department has fielded over 7,400 home and auto claims, the insurance company said in a news release.
“Customer contact is at 90%,” the company said. “We are putting tens of millions of dollars back into customers’ hands. These numbers will rise as residents return and assess damage.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the four fires – Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Auto – have burned nearly 40,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 27 people.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to the people and communities affected by these fires, as well as the firefighters, first responders, and volunteers who are working tirelessly to contain the fires,” State Farm said in a statement. “We are focused on our customers and helping them recover from the largest fire event we have ever experienced in the state.”
State Farm also announced recently that it would not be airing a commercial during the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in order to focus on helping customers.
Insurance companies have faced criticism recently for canceling plans in California as homeowners wonder how they’ll protect their property and families. Filmmaker Tyler Perry expressed his frustration online.
“Does anyone else find it appalling that insurance companies can take billions of dollars out of communities for years and then, all of a sudden, be allowed to cancel millions of policies for the very people they became rich on?” Perry wrote on Instagram.