Wildfire guide
Wildfire season: get your home inventory ready
What to do before an evacuation order, how to check your coverage, and what to expect from the contents side of a wildfire claim.
A wildfire doesn't give you a weekend to get organized. Sometimes you get a day of warning, sometimes you get twenty minutes. Whatever you didn't document before you left is a lot harder to prove later.
When I sold insurance, the claims that went the hardest were the ones where people had to rebuild a contents list from memory. Here's how to get ahead of that before fire season, and what to know if you're already on the other side of one.
Make your inventory before you need it
You don't need a perfect spreadsheet. You need proof of what was in the house. The fastest way to get there:
- Do a video walkthrough. Walk every room with your phone recording. Open closets, cabinets and drawers. Talk as you go: "this is the TV, bought it in 2023, about $900." That alone covers a lot.
- Take photos of the big stuff. Electronics, furniture, appliances, tools, bikes, jewelry and anything collectible. Get the brand and the serial number when you can.
- Don't skip the garage, shed and attic. These are the spaces people forget, and they're often full of expensive stuff.
- Save receipts and appraisals for anything valuable. A photo of the receipt is fine.
- Turn it into a list when you have time. Our room by room home inventory checklist keeps you from missing whole categories.
Your go bag and documents
Have a bag packed before the evacuation warning, not during it. Along with the usual water, clothes, medications, glasses and chargers, put in copies of the paperwork you'll need for a claim:
- Your insurance policy, or at least the declarations page and your agent's number
- IDs, birth certificates, passports and Social Security cards
- Mortgage or lease info
- A thumb drive with your home inventory and photos (as a backup to the cloud)
- A list of medications and doctors
If you have time before you leave, take one more quick video of the house. It's the most recent proof you'll have.
Store it where fire can't reach
An inventory that burns with the house doesn't help. Keep it in the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, or an app that stores it for you) and email a copy to yourself. A fireproof box at home is better than nothing, but it's not the same as having it somewhere else.
Know your coverage and limits
This is the one I'd push hardest on. Underinsurance is really common after big fires. United Policyholders surveyed Camp Fire survivors and found 60 percent said they didn't have enough insurance to rebuild. In their year one survey after the 2025 Los Angeles fires, 69 percent of households reported being underinsured. Building costs jump after a big disaster, and a lot of people find out their limits were set years ago.
Pull out your declarations page and check:
- Dwelling limit. Would it actually rebuild your home at today's construction costs? Ask your agent about extended or guaranteed replacement cost.
- Personal property limit. Your inventory tells you whether it's enough. Here's how to figure out how much personal property coverage you need.
- Replacement cost or actual cash value on your contents. It makes a big difference on a total loss. (Here's the plain English version.)
- Additional living expenses. After a wildfire you might be out of the house for a long time. Check the limit and any time limit.
- Special limits on jewelry, art and collectibles. Some may need their own coverage.
If you're in California and can't find coverage, the California FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort. It provides basic fire coverage, and many people pair it with a separate difference in conditions policy to fill in coverage the FAIR Plan doesn't include. Ask a broker to walk you through it.
Renting? Your landlord's policy covers the building, not your stuff. Read do I need renters insurance.
Defensible space, briefly
CAL FIRE describes defensible space in zones around your home: an ember resistant zone within 5 feet, a "lean, clean and green" zone out to 30 feet, and a reduced fuel zone from 30 to 100 feet (or your property line, whichever is closer). In California, clearing up to 100 feet is required by law. It helps protect your home, and some insurers ask about it, too. Check ReadyForWildfire.org for the details.
After a wildfire
If the worst already happened, here's where to focus:
- Call your insurer or agent and get a claim number and adjuster name. Ask about an advance for immediate needs.
- Use your additional living expenses coverage. It can help with a hotel or rental, extra food costs and more. Save every receipt.
- Don't forget smoke damage. Even if your house is still standing, smoke, soot and ash can damage clothes, furniture, electronics and HVAC systems. Document it room by room and ask how your policy handles cleaning versus replacing.
- Build or rebuild your contents list. Use your video, photos, order history and bank statements. If you didn't make one, here's how to prove what you owned without receipts. Our house fire guide has more on the first few days.
- Ask about itemization rules in your state. Some states give relief on total losses. In California, for a covered total loss of a furnished primary home in a declared state of emergency, the law requires insurers to offer a contents payment of at least 60 percent of your personal property limit (up to $350,000) without an itemized list, and you can still file a full itemized claim for more. Rules are different in other states, so ask your adjuster or your state insurance department.
Get your list done before fire season
I built AfterProof because a contents list is brutal to make by hand, and it's even worse after you've lost everything. You snap photos room by room, the AI identifies each item and finds what it costs to replace today, and you get a PDF you can hand your adjuster. It's stored in the cloud, not just in your house. For a big home, the web app lets you work from a computer.
Quick answers
How do I make a home inventory before a wildfire?
Walk through every room recording video on your phone, open closets and drawers, and take close photos of valuable items and serial numbers. Save it to the cloud so it survives if the house doesn't.
What documents should I take when evacuating for a wildfire?
Your insurance policy or declarations page, IDs, birth certificates, passports, mortgage or lease info, a medication list, and a backup copy of your home inventory.
Does homeowners insurance cover smoke damage from a wildfire?
Smoke damage is often covered as part of a fire claim, even if the fire didn't reach your house. Document it room by room and ask your adjuster how your policy handles it.
Do I have to list every item after losing my home in a wildfire in California?
Not to get started. For a covered total loss of a furnished primary home in a declared state of emergency, California law requires insurers to offer at least 60 percent of your contents limit, up to $350,000, without an itemized list. You can itemize later to claim more.
How do I know if I'm underinsured for a wildfire?
Check whether your dwelling limit would rebuild your home at today's costs and whether your personal property limit matches your inventory. Ask your agent about extended replacement cost.
This is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Every policy and state is different, so check yours or ask your agent.
Sources: United Policyholders, Camp Fire survey, United Policyholders, LA wildfires year one survey, California Department of Insurance, SB 495.
