With Northern California fires continuing to burn and devastate structures, the state imposed a mandatory one-year moratorium that prevents homeowner insurance cancellations and non-renewals following an emergency declaration on Sept. 20. Approximately 325,000 policyholders in 22 counties living within the perimeter or in zip codes of a declared wildfire disaster will benefit from the moratorium. Areas covered by the moratorium include nearby the Dixie, River, Caldor, Tamarack, McFarland, Fly, Monument, and Cache fires. “My moratorium orders help provide short-term relief as we address the root causes of these ever-intensifying natural disasters,” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a Sept. 20 statement. The moratorium is set to protect homeowner insurance for one year and comes a few months after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the first emergency declaration as wildfires began to outbreak up north. “Protecting consumers is Job One,” Lara said. “This California law empowers my office to help give people the …