In the News:
Survivors Taking the Lead
The Every Fire Survivor’s Network is growing survivor voices, holding institutions accountable, and building the path to faster, stronger recovery.
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For media inquiries, contact:
Joy Chen
joy.chen@efsurvivors.net
First Draft of History: The Los Angeles Fires
The Every Fire Survivor’s Network held the only press conference on the one-year anniversary of the Los Angeles fires. Attendees described it as “chilling, heart-wrenching and deeply affirming.”
Watch it here.
Recent Media Coverage
CBS
“Angry homeowners and a state probe. What went wrong with State Farm’s L.A. fire response.” (subscriber-only)
Hundreds of homeowners, led by the Every Fire Survivor’s Network (EFSN), are calling on Governor Newsom and Commissioner Lara to hold insurers accountable. Having collected over 400 firsthand accounts of delays and denials by State Farm, they’re drawing a clear line: no more billion-dollar rate hikes for companies that break their promises.
LA Times
‘Delays, lowballs, outright denials’: how the LA wildfires have exposed the US’s broken insurance industry
Los Angeles wildfire survivors are facing prolonged delays, denied claims, and inadequate insurance payouts, leaving many homeowners unable to rebuild despite years of faithfully paying premiums. These struggles reflect a broader crisis in the insurance industry, as companies pull back from fire-prone areas, raise rates, and shift increasing risk onto homeowners amid intensifying climate-driven disasters.
The Guardian
California Opens Investigation Into State Farm
Survivors are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials to close loopholes in proposed regulations that could allow insurers to charge higher rates without meaningfully restoring coverage in wildfire-prone communities.
NY Times
NBC | “Wildfire Survivor Rebuilding Now Faces Insurer Delays" (video)
NBC spotlights how even families with the funds to begin rebuilding are being forced to halt construction — trapped by insurers’ delays. EFSN provides critical on-the-ground context in this report, showing how delays are destabilizing recovery efforts and leading the fight for accountability.
Hundreds of homeowners, led by the Every Fire Survivor’s Network (EFSN), are calling on Governor Newsom and Commissioner Lara to hold insurers accountable. Having collected over 400 firsthand accounts of delays and denials by State Farm, they’re drawing a clear line: no more billion-dollar rate hikes for companies that break their promises.
New York Times | "Biggest Barrier for Eaton Fire victims’ homecoming: Insurance companies”
California regulators have launched an investigation into State Farm after widespread complaints about its handling of insurance claims from the Los Angeles wildfires. Survivors report delays, rotating adjusters, and payouts far below the cost of rebuilding, especially for smoke-damaged homes. State Farm says it is cooperating with the review.
NBC News | “L.A. fire victims say repeated insurance adjuster changes are delaying recovery efforts”
NBC Nightly News features EFSN member Stephanie Newport, who shared how State Farm has kept her claim in limbo by assigning her seven different adjusters. The company is offering just 10% of the cost to properly remediate her smoke-damaged home. One adjuster even admitted they hope she’ll give up. But Stephanie is determined to keep fighting.
FOX TV | California FAIR Plan found not fair to homeowners
A Los Angeles judge ruled that the California FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, has been illegally denying or underpaying smoke damage claims, violating California insurance law. The plan’s restrictive policies—requiring visible or smellable damage—were struck down for failing to meet the state’s minimum fire coverage standards.
NY Times | California Approves 17 Percent Rate Increase for State Farm | PDF
The higher rate comes after survivors of the Eaton fire in the working-class community of Altadena organized, first on a WhatsApp group dedicated to pickleball and later on Discord, a platform better known for gaming.
There they found each other and collected hundreds of firsthand accounts of homeowners insured with State Farm in California, who were struggling to get paid even when their homes had been leveled, said Joy Chen, a former deputy mayor of Los Angeles and the leader of the group, now known as the Every Fire Survivor’s Network.
“The ability to approve rate hikes is one of the few enforcement powers that the commissioner has,” she said. “When you approve a rate hike without even examining whether a company is actually providing the service that they’re being paid to provide, then it green lights systemic abuse,” she added. “And it sends a message to every Californian who pays insurance premiums that you can pay, decade after decade, but if disaster strikes, your insurer may not be there — and your government may turn a blind eye.”
LA Times | Four months into insurance claim delays and disputes, a new blow to fire victims: A rate hike | PDF
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez highlights Eaton Fire survivors' frustrations with State Farm, particularly delays and denials in insurance claims reported by Joy Chen and others. He criticizes the California Department of Insurance for approving State Farm’s 17% rate hike without fully investigating these issues, calling for greater accountability and support for fire victims.
LA Times | Insurance commissioner grants State Farm 17% emergency rate hike after L.A. fires l PDF
Prompted by mounting complaints from Eaton and Palisades fire survivors about State Farm's claim handling, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara stated that an investigation into the insurer is "not off the table." Lara committed to collecting survivor testimonies and forwarding them to the department's enforcement division. Survivors have accused State Farm of denying coverage and delaying payments following the January wildfires.
Cal Matters | State Farm wins first-ever emergency rate hike in California l PDF
Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires were key voices in the public calls to delay State Farm’s emergency 17% rate hike, pending an investigation into the company's delays and denials in claims processing. Despite their testimonies and advocacy, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved the interim rate increase, prompting criticism that consumer protection is taking a backseat to industry demands. Survivor-led pressure, however, has forced the commissioner to publicly state that a formal investigation into State Farm's conduct is still “not off the table.”
New York Times | ‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.
With no official standards or certified protocols for declaring a fire‑damaged home safe, survivors face agonizing decisions: invest heavily in deep mitigation or tear down and rebuild. It highlights both the health risks of lingering carcinogens in post-fire homes and the urgent need for clear cleanup benchmarks. Without them, returning residents must shoulder gut-wrenching costs and uncertainty just to determine if their homes are safe to live in.
Fox 2 KTVU | California FAIR Plan found not fair to homeowners forced to use its ‘insurance’
A Los Angeles judge ruled that the California FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, has been illegally denying or underpaying smoke damage claims, violating California insurance law. The plan’s restrictive policies—requiring visible or smellable damage—were struck down for failing to meet the state’s minimum fire coverage standards. The decision could impact thousands of homeowners, especially wildfire survivors, who were previously denied coverage for toxic smoke and residue cleanup. Advocates say the ruling exposes long-standing unfair practices and may lead to widespread reimbursement or legal action.
LA Times | Insurance commissioner signals possible probe intoState Farm's handling of L.A. wildfire claims l PDF
Eaton and Palisades fire survivors sparked growing calls for oversight of State Farm, citing delays and denials in insurance payouts. Their firsthand accounts prompted California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to acknowledge that a formal investigation into State Farm’s claims handling is “not off the table.” This marks a shift in public pressure translating into potential regulatory action, driven by survivor-led advocacy.
LA Times | Eaton fire victims call for investigation into State Farm for delays, violations l PDF
Speaking in front of State Farm’s catastrophe claim tent on Colorado Boulevard,, the group urged California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to launch a formal investigation into the insurance giant, alleging that a series of delayed and denied claims has left wildfire victims in dire financial positions and unable to return to contaminated homes.
ABC7 | Eaton Fire victims demand California reject proposed 22% State Farm insurance rate hike l PDF
Matt Gabor, who lives in Altadena, says State Farm has refused to cover the damage to his home. Gabor says he, his wife, and their two young children have lived in five different places since the fire.
"Doing this as a full-time job, and just to have the insurance company that's supposed to have your back completely abandon you, it's just like, a living nightmare," Gabor said.
KNX Radio | ‘We will not go quietly’: Eaton Fire homeowners demand accountability from State Farm l PDF
Members of the Eaton Fire Survivor Network gathered outside the insurance company’s tent on Colorado Blvd. Joy Chen is with the group and called on California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to do three things.
“Number one, launch a formal investigation into State Farm's handling of Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire claims,” she said. “ Number two, expedite all unresolved claims and pay them out with interest, and number three, deny this 17% rate hike until State Farm shows it will fulfill its obligations to California families.”
MyNewsLA | “Eaton Fire Survivors Calls Upon Insurance Commissioner to Investigate State Farm” l PDF
“Most people assume that if you pay your premiums, your insurer will be there when disaster strikes,” Joy Chen, a leader of the EFSN, said during the news conference. “But for many State Farm policyholders, the fire was just the start of their trauma. Each day since then, their financial and emotional devastation has grown because of State Farm’s actions.”
Patch | Fire Survivors Call for Investigation into State Farm Over Claims l PDF
Nine survivors of the Eaton Fire and longtime State Farm policyholders held a news conference outside the insurer's Pasadena tent Thursday to deliver a collective message: "State Farm is failing California families and must be held accountable.
"Most people assume that if you pay your premiums, your insurer will be there when disaster strikes," Joy Chen, a leader of the EFSN, said during the news conference. "But for many State Farm policyholders, the fire was just the start of their trauma. Each day since then, their financial and emotional devastation has grown because of State Farm's actions.”
Breitbart | Eaton Fire Survivors Denounce State Farm for Alleged Mishandling of Insurance Claims l PDF
“The disaster began with the Eaton fire, but for us, the real trauma began when we filed a smoke damage claim with State Farm,” said speaker Wendy Davis on Thursday.
Davis said that her five-bedroom home in Altadena remains covered in toxic soot and ash 100 days after the fire, adding that State Farm has “delayed, stonewalled and denied us the help that we’re entitled to” by routinely switching out adjusters.