Wildfires

​If you are part of a mandatory evacuation:

• When it is safe, contact your insurance company to let them know you have been evacuated, check your policy coverage, and learn about next steps.
• Save your receipts. Many insurance policies cover expenses such as lodging, food, and even pet boarding.
• Check with your insurance company to confirm your specific coverage.
• Try to use some time to work on a home inventory list. If your personal belongings are damaged, the insurance company will request a list of items that are damaged or destroyed.
  • Look through photos and videos to help recall personal items. Pay close attention to what is in the background and look for smaller items, such as jewelry.
  • To the best of your ability, write down the age, original cost, and replacement cost of each item.

If you are on alert to evacuate:

• Contact your insurance company to check your policy. Coverage is typically available for fire, smoke, and ash damage to your home and personal property.
• Ask about your auto coverage. You need comprehensive coverage on your auto policy to cover fire, smoke, or ash damage to your vehicle, no matter where your vehicle is at time of the loss.
• If it is safe to do so, make a quick home inventory. Take photos or video of each room in your home. Pay close attention to what is on the walls and in drawers and closets. Do not forget storage areas such as the attic and garage. Check your insurance company’s website for an app or checklist that will help. You can also use the Insure U Home Inventory Checklist.

• Be sure to make safety a top priority when surveying damage to your home.
• Try to contact your insurance company as soon as possible if your home or property is damaged. Ask about making temporary repairs, take photos of the damage, and save receipts for any work that is done.

• If you file a claim with your insurance company, your insurer may require a damage inspection before you start repairs. Try to prevent further damage or theft by making temporary repairs, save receipts for temporary work, and check with your insurance company before beginning repairs.
• Do not get rid of anything that is damaged until your insurance company has seen it and said you can toss it out.
• One of the most daunting tasks of the claim process can be filling out an inventory of your damaged personal items. Your insurance company needs this to document the personal property that is damaged or destroyed. Take your time; you do not need to give every item to your adjuster at once. Just make sure to ask how long you have to submit your list.
  • Prepare a list that includes the item, the age, the approximate original cost, and the approximate replacement cost.
  • Do not dispose of the damaged items until your adjuster can view them. Take photos of the damaged items yourself.
• Contact your mortgage company to understand how it manages insurance payments. Checks may be written to both you and the mortgage company as payments are issued.
• If your car is damaged by the fire, you will need comprehensive coverage on your auto policy to cover the damage, even if it parked in a garage. Damage to a vehicle is not covered under a homeowners policy.

• After the investigation is completed and the insurance company is ready to settle your claim, it will typically be paid in two steps:
• Step 1 – Actual cash value. This means the initial payment will be for the value of the damaged property at the time of loss. This is established by depreciating the cost of the repairs and the replacement cost of the damaged personal property. The initial payment will be less than the full amount needed to do the job, but it will help you get repairs started, or begin purchasing replacement property.
• Step 2 – Replacement cost. Once the repairs are completed, or a new item is purchased, the company will reimburse you the difference between the actual cash value and the full repair or replacement cost. You will have a deductible that applies to the entire loss.
• Be sure to talk to your insurance company about your specific policy and how payments will be made.
• If you need to be out of your home during the repairs, most policies will cover additional living expenses such as lodging, food, and even pet boarding. Talk to your insurance company to understand how the coverage applies.

• If you have a renters policy, it will typically cover your personal belongings and personal liability, similar to the way a homeowners policy does. You will need to make a list of damaged items with the age, original cost, and the cost to replace it. Give the list to your insurance adjuster. Typically, the building owner’s policy covers the building you live in, but does not cover your property, your cost to find other housing, or your personal liability.
• The tips in the sections above will help you with reporting and filing your renters claim.

​​The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a temporary emergency order in response to the Oregon wildfires. It requires insurance companies to extend grace periods for premium payments, postpone policy cancellations and nonrenewals, and extend deadlines for reporting claims.

• Wildfire emergency order


• Bulletin – Affected areas subject to the wildfire emergency order

If you have questions about your insurance coverage, contact your provider. If you have questions or need to file a complaint on an insurance company or agent, contact the division’s advocacy team at 888-877-4894 (toll-free) or
email: df​r.insurancehelp@oregon.gov.