SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Chronicle received the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for the home insurance crisis on Monday, May 4 at 3 p.m. EST. The winners of the serial story “Burned” were Susie Neilson, Megan Fan Munce and Sara DiNatale. “Burned” told the story of insurance companies that used faulty algorithms, undervaluing property and preventing California homeowners from rebuilding after the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
In January 2025, as the Los Angeles wildfires roared, these The San Francisco Chronicle reporters tracked the underinsurance crisis. On April 2, 2025, an investigation into the insurance companies was published in the publication which gave details into the algorithms of 360Value on underestimating rebuilding housing costs. In May 2025, because of the San Francisco Chronicle’s investigative journalism, there was a California Board of Equalization hearing. On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, a five-state Western coalition was formed to investigate underinsurance.
This is the first time the San Francisco Chronicle was awarded for the serial work completed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. It won the Barlett & Steele Award for Investigative Business Journalism.
