State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara (Lah-ra) has been meeting with communities experiencing an upsurge in wildfire insurance policies that have been cancelled, or have been unavailable or unaffordable. That includes officials in Nevada County. County Supervisor Ed Scofield says he’s impressed with Lara. He says he now has a better idea about the power of the office regarding the issue…

That includes the formation of a Strike Team that includes members of the insurance industry. Scofield says legislative solutions are the best hope, while admitting that private businesses can’t be regulated. He says he’d especially like to see more uniform policies available…

Lara says the Strike Team will connect residents to resources and assist local governments in assessing and responding to insurance issues. He’s also expected to attend a forum scheduled for August 22nd at the Foothills Event Center in Grass Valley. He told officials that complaints to his department related to non-renewals are up nearly 600-percent in areas with increased risk.