Farmers Insurance Blames Wildfire Damage on Calif. County

The giant Farmers Insurance Group blames Santa Cruz County for contributing to the spread of the summertime Trabing wildfire, which destroyed dozens of homes.

Farmers filed $3 million worth of claims saying the county failed to clear away roadside brush, allowing the 630-acre blaze to spread.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday denied dozens of Farmers claims. County lawyers wouldn’t comment on the insurance company claims because of the possibility of a lawsuit.

The Trabing Fire started June 20 when a vehicle on Highway 1 ignited brush. Some 26 homes and nearly 50 other structures were damaged or destroyed.

Farmers alleges overgrown vegetation on nearby county roads fanned the flames and contributed to the destruction.