08/31/2026
I went down a bit of a rabbit hole researching the history of the California FAIR Plan, and I found something I suspect most Californians don’t know.
The FAIR Plan wasn’t created because of wildfires.
Its history traces back to the Watts Riots in 1965, when property owners and small businesses in parts of Los Angeles suddenly found it extremely difficult to obtain property insurance.
From there, the story runs through the Northridge earthquake, California’s expanding wildfire exposure, the retreat of insurers from certain areas, and eventually the enormous role the FAIR Plan plays in our property insurance market today.
Understanding how we got here makes the current California insurance crisis much easier to understand.
I put the history together here:
https://schneidermaninsurance.com/california-fair-plan-history/
If you own property in California, especially in a wildfire exposed area, I think you’ll find the history pretty fascinating.
. Posted in by Schneiderman Insurance Agency. Insurance in CA.
