The Los Angeles fires have cast uncertainty over when the insurance crisis buffeting the entire state will ease, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara told the Chronicle during an interview Saturday in Santa Monica,

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara addresses challenges facing homeowners affected by the wildfires, the FAIR Plan, and future of insurance.

California's Fair Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, may be unable to pay billions in claims arising from the Los Angeles fires and may require a bailout that could ultimately be paid by homeowners statewide.