A fire insurance policy protects your home and possessions from the damage and destruction caused by wildfires. It is also good to ensure you know what your policy covers. Here are the essential elements you will want to know about.

Home

Having a home insurance policy can help you if your house burns down. You can cover the cost of repairing the structure, your belongings, and the relocation expenses that may arise. However, you may also be required to purchase an additional deductible if your home is in a wildfire-prone area.

Many insurance companies will not cover homes in fire-prone areas or charge high premiums. So you may have to look for other alternatives.

Shopping around is the best way to obtain a reasonable home insurance rate. You can compare quotes from three or more companies. Make sure you compare rates from companies in different geographic regions.

In addition to having a fire insurance policy, you may be required to purchase one from your mortgage company. If you are moving into a fire-prone area, ensuring your home insurance policy will cover your new location is crucial.

In addition to a standard homeowners policy, you may be able to buy a “surplus lines” approach that provides specialized coverage. For example, some of these policies may include debris removal and temporary relocation expenses.

Other structures

Getting a home insurance quote is a big deal in the Bay Area, but what if you are lucky enough to live in an otherwise spartan suburb? The best way to combat the risk is to buy a policy covering the whole shebang, including your home, garage, and backyard. The resulting premiums are akin to paying a high school graduate for your first job and should be budgeted accordingly. The best thing to do is pick up an insurance broker, preferably with a mobile app. You can then use the app to make your comparison shopping swoops, a la your car dealer.

Personal belongings

Fortunately, most standard homeowners insurance policies cover personal belongings. However, if you reside in a wildfire-prone location, you should consider getting insurance for wildfires.

Many types of personal property coverage are available, ranging from basic homeowners insurance to full coverage renters insurance. Before settling on a policy, it’s essential to do your homework. Your coverage may not only cover your personal belongings but also boost your wallet.

To determine your coverage take an inventory of your belongings. This will also save you time when filing a claim. For example, how much did you spend on a particular item? A good rule of thumb is to buy enough coverage to replace your items.

Considering a more comprehensive policy, consider a combination of dwelling, personal property, and loss of use coverage. This policy will pay to replace your home’s structure and cover living expenses while you are temporarily out of the house.

The time limit for rebuilding

Thousands of Oregon households will likely be allowed to rebuild their homes following the Beachie Creek Fire. The bill, which passed the Oregon House and Senate almost unanimously, will allow rebuilding to continue to the original standards. The bill was signed by Oregon Governor Kate Brown this week.

The bill would also allow 4,000 households in Oregon to rebuild sooner than currently allowed. In the past decade, wildfires have burned 7.5 million acres of land in the state. That’s more than the amount that was burned in the entire decade of the 1990s. In the future, wildfires will continue to cause significant property damage and destroy more communities.

According to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, rebuilding could take up to three to five years. The rebuilding process is complicated, and there are many bottlenecks at each stage.

One of the biggest problems is that residents in affected communities need to understand the rebuilding process better. Several agencies, including Los Angeles County, have developed FAQ pages to help answer common questions.

Filing a claim

Whether you have lost your home, property, or business, filing a claim on wildfire insurance can be complicated. You may need to learn how to start or what you should do. But there are steps you can take to file a successful claim.

First, you need to know what your insurance policy covers. This will help you determine if you need to file a claim on wildfire insurance.

The Insurance Information Institute has a page on filing a claim on wildfire insurance in California. In addition, it has some good advice about what to do to protect yourself and what to expect.

The insurance company will send an adjuster to inspect your property. The report will include information about the replacement cost value of your property.

Your insurer may also ask for a repair estimate. But, again, you can hire an independent estimator or ask your insurer to send a different adjuster.