After the Gann Fire, California's insurance commissioner issued a moratorium protecting 64,000 policyholders across 22 ZIP codes from cancellation for one year, through August 6, 2027. Five days later, the Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules requiring homeowners to clear combustible material from the first five feet around their houses. Existing homes get up to three years to comply.
So the moratorium runs out two full years before the compliance window closes. A homeowner who drops everything and does the work tomorrow still faces the insurer's calendar. The state's own filed mitigation discounts range from 4% to 40%, but CDI's March briefing concedes that individual hardening "may not attract insurers to write new policies in the area." You can harden your house, earn your discount, and still find nobody willing to write the policy.
Timeline
- Aug 6, 2026 — Governor declares Calaveras County emergency
- Aug 14 — CDI issues moratorium: no cancellations in 22 ZIP codes for one year
- Aug 19 — Board of Forestry approves Zone 0 rules (8-0); awaiting Office of Administrative Law review
- ~Sep 2026 — Zone 0 expected to take effect
- Aug 6, 2027 — Moratorium expires
- ~Sep 2029 — Full Zone 0 compliance deadline for existing homes
What happens at expiration: After prior moratoriums, many homeowners ended up on the FAIR Plan, a fire-only policy of last resort with limited coverage
305 days: Median time for a California rate-filing approval to reach policyholders