Published: September 23, 2025
The recent devastating Los Angeles wildfires have thrust California’s insurance crisis into the spotlight, and WOWS founder Robert Feldman was featured in The San Francisco Standard’s coverage analyzing how these catastrophic events are reshaping the state’s insurance landscape.
As traditional insurers continue their exodus from California, the article highlights how non-admitted carriers—companies not licensed in California but authorized to provide coverage—are stepping in to fill the growing coverage gap. The Standard reports that surplus line homeowners’ transactions jumped dramatically from 50,372 in 2023 to 164,930 in 2024, demonstrating the rapid shift toward alternative insurance solutions.
Robert Feldman shared his expert insight on how the LA fires could accelerate changes already underway in California’s insurance market. “This could be a crippling event for multiple admitted carriers in California,” Feldman told The Standard, as insurers face thousands of claims for homes damaged or destroyed in the fires. Feldman predicts that the aftermath of these fires will drive even more admitted insurers out of the state, creating additional opportunities for surplus providers. “I think there’s going to be a lot more non-admitted carriers in the space,” he explained. “They have the flexibility.”
This flexibility that Feldman references is crucial in today’s challenging insurance environment. Unlike admitted carriers, which must navigate lengthy regulatory approval processes for rate changes and coverage modifications, non-admitted carriers can respond more quickly to market conditions and risk assessments. This agility allows them to serve properties that traditional insurers increasingly view as too risky to cover.
As a specialized wholesaler focusing on fire insurance for high-risk California properties, WOWS has been at the forefront of addressing the state’s insurance challenges. Our network of over 3,000 brokers and relationships with reinsurers position us uniquely to help property owners secure coverage in an increasingly difficult market. The Standard’s article underscores what we’ve been observing firsthand: California’s insurance landscape is fundamentally changing, and innovative solutions from the surplus lines market are becoming not just an alternative, but often the only viable option for many homeowners.
While the LA fires represent a tragic loss for affected communities, they also highlight the critical importance of having diverse insurance options available. As Feldman noted in The Standard, the flexibility of non-admitted carriers will be essential as California continues to grapple with climate-related risks and the ongoing availability crisis in the traditional insurance market. The recognition in The San Francisco Standard reflects WOWS’ growing influence in addressing California’s insurance challenges and our commitment to finding solutions where others see only problems.
Click here to read the full The San Francisco Standard article. For more information about WOWS Insurance, contact our team today!