Cap Fire Insurance Premiums in High-Risk California Zones

I live in Tenaja, Murrieta, California (92562) — a beautiful high-risk fire zone in Riverside County. Like many of my neighbors, I bought my home years ago, built it with my own hands (or paid to have it built), and did everything “right”: defensible space, fire-resistant upgrades, regular maintenance. I never imagined insurance would become the biggest threat to keeping my home.

Right now my homeowners insurance is through the California FAIR Plan — the state’s so-called “insurer of last resort.” They told me my minimum fire coverage must be at least 1% of the current market value of my house every single year.

Let that sink in.

It’s not based on what I actually paid to build the house. It’s not based on my mortgage balance. It’s not even based on a realistic replacement cost using today’s construction prices.

It is based only on whatever the real-estate market says my house is worth right now. And the insurance company gets to update that number every year — or anytime they decide to re-evaluate my property. So every time home values climb, my insurance bill climbs with them, even though the actual risk to my specific home hasn’t changed.

I’m not sure how they call it the “FAIR” Plan when it feels anything but fair to working families who are being priced out of the neighborhoods we helped build.

This isn’t just my story. Across California, especially in high-risk zones like Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, and Tenaja, families are facing the same crisis. The California FAIR Plan now has 668,609 policies in force and a staggering $724 billion in total exposure — that’s up 230% since 2022. Major insurers have pulled out or stopped writing new policies, forcing more and more homeowners onto the FAIR Plan with limited coverage and skyrocketing premiums.

We are not asking the state to ignore wildfire risk or pretend climate change isn’t real. We understand that living in these zones comes with real danger. What we are demanding is balance and fairness.

We need the California Department of Insurance, Governor Newsom, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and our state legislators to cap fire insurance premiums in high-risk zones so that hardworking families aren’t forced to choose between paying insurance and keeping a roof over their heads.

No more letting premiums be tied solely to fluctuating market values. No more letting insurance companies reevaluate properties whenever they want and raise rates without any guardrails. We need practical solutions: stronger mitigation incentives, realistic rate caps in the highest-risk areas, and a true state-backed reinsurance program that actually protects both insurers and homeowners.

I started this petition because I refuse to watch entire communities in Riverside and San Diego counties be destabilized by insurance costs that have nothing to do with the actual cost to rebuild or the individual risk of each home.

If you’re a California homeowner facing the same nightmare — whether you’re on the FAIR Plan or still with a private insurer — please sign and share this petition today.

Together we can force real change before more families lose their homes to premiums they simply cannot afford.

Decision makers added:

Governor Gavin Newsom
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara
State Senator Kelly Seyarto (District 32)
Assembly Member Kate Sanchez (District 71)
Every signature brings us closer to being heard in Sacramento.

Thank you for standing with homeowners in high-risk California zones.