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Wildfire Insurance Claims: What to Do First – Spokane Workshop Overview, Aug 17

Published on: September 4, 2026

Last updated: September 4, 2026

BHT is offers employee benefits for small businesses and we have a lot of members in the Spokane area so we’ve been following this topic and want to help where we can.

After a wildfire damages or destroys a home, the insurance claim can bring a new wave of decisions, paperwork and unfamiliar terms. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) focused on those first steps during its Aug. 17 wildfire claims workshop in Spokane. This is an overview of the workshop.

Watch the full Aug. 17 wildfire claims workshop on YouTube.

This article provides general information, not legal or insurance advice. Every policy and claim is different. Your policy language controls your coverage.

1. Slow down

Some steps need to happen quickly. Notify the insurance company of the loss and give it a reasonable opportunity to inspect the damage. Protect the property from further damage when it is safe and possible to do so. Keep the insurer informed about those efforts.

Other decisions can wait. One of the clearest messages from the workshop was, “You don’t need to sign anything right now.”

After a disaster, contractors and other service providers may arrive with urgent offers. A person may claim that a crew, price or place on a waiting list is available only if you sign or pay immediately. Verify the person or company and read the full contract before committing.

Pay close attention to an “assignment of benefits.” This can transfer important rights under the insurance policy to a contractor or another party. It is different from simply authorizing the insurer to pay a contractor directly. Ask for help if the language is unclear.

Keep the insurer involved before mitigation or repair work begins. If a contractor completes work the insurer did not approve, the homeowner could be caught between the contractor’s bill and a coverage dispute.

Safety belongs in this first step too. Do not return until authorities say it is safe. Fire-damaged sites may contain unstable structures, damaged utilities, sharp debris and hazardous ash. Use suitable protective clothing, gloves and a mask, and get qualified help when needed.

2. Build the record

Wildfire recovery can involve adjusters, contractors, lenders, government offices and relief organizations. Details that feel clear today may be hard to recall months later. A claim journal gives the entire process one reliable record.

Use a notebook, document or spreadsheet to track:

  • The claim number and contact information for each adjuster
  • Calls, emails, inspections and site visits
  • What was discussed, requested or promised
  • Documents and photos sent to the insurer
  • Deadlines and follow-up dates
  • Receipts, invoices and payments

After an important call or in-person conversation, send a short email restating what you understood. Ask the other person to correct anything you got wrong. Keep requests clear and neutral. If an adjuster’s answer does not seem to match the coverage, ask for the policy language supporting it.

The record also needs to show the loss. When it is safe, take extensive photos and video before cleaning, moving or discarding anything. Images from before the fire, online purchase histories, receipts and older videos taken inside the home may help establish what was there.

Do not expect to finish the personal property inventory in one sitting. Start room by room. List the furniture, then use each dresser, cabinet, closet, toolbox or other storage area to recall what it held. Include small items. Individually they may seem minor, but together they can represent a large part of the claim.

Add as much detail as you reasonably can, including the brand, model, age, original cost and estimated replacement cost. Expand the inventory as more items come to mind.

3. Read the rules

The presenters described the insurance policy as the rule book for the claim. Ask the insurance company in writing for a complete copy of the policy that applied on the date of the fire, including the declarations page and every endorsement.

They used the acronym DICE to explain four main parts of an insurance contract:

  • Declarations: The insured property, named policyholders, coverage limits, deductibles and policy period
  • Insuring agreement: The losses and property the insurer agrees to cover
  • Conditions: The responsibilities of both the policyholder and the insurance company
  • Exclusions: The losses, property or circumstances the policy does not cover

The declarations page is a useful starting point, but it is not the whole policy. Look for dwelling and other-structure coverage, personal property coverage, additional living expense or loss-of-use coverage, and any endorsements for building-code upgrades, extended replacement cost or inflation protection.

The policy also sets the policyholder’s responsibilities. These may include promptly reporting the loss, protecting the property from further damage when reasonably possible, documenting damaged belongings, allowing inspections and cooperating with reasonable requests from the insurer.

Knowing the rules makes it easier to ask specific questions. It also helps separate what someone thinks should happen from what the contract actually says.

4. Plan for the long recovery

A wildfire claim is rarely resolved with one check. Understanding how the money may arrive can prevent surprises.

Two terms matter:

  • Actual cash value, or ACV, generally reflects the value of damaged property after depreciation.
  • Replacement cost generally reflects the cost to repair or replace damaged property with new property of like kind and quality, subject to the policy’s terms and limits.

On many replacement-cost claims, the insurer first pays an ACV amount and withholds depreciation. After the policyholder repairs or replaces the covered property and submits proof, the insurer may release some or all of the withheld amount. Ask for a written calculation, the deadline for completing repairs or replacements and the documents required to claim remaining benefits.

If a mortgage company is listed on the policy, its name may also appear on checks for structural damage. Contact the lender early to learn how it holds and releases insurance proceeds. Knowing the process before a check arrives can reduce delays.

Debris removal requires planning as well. Wait for direction from local officials before entering a restricted area or moving hazardous debris. Ask the insurer how debris-removal coverage works and whether a government cleanup program may be available. Using an outside program could preserve more policy funds for rebuilding.

Additional living expense coverage, often called ALE or loss-of-use coverage, also needs a budget. It generally pays added costs caused by being unable to live at home, not every ordinary household expense. Depending on the policy and circumstances, that may include temporary housing, added meal costs, pet boarding, laundry or extra mileage.

Save receipts and ask the insurer what it will accept before making a large or long-term commitment. Find both the dollar limit and the time limit. A family may qualify for temporary housing comparable to its home, but using the maximum available amount each month could exhaust the benefit before rebuilding is complete.

The larger decisions may take time. A family with a total loss may eventually choose to rebuild the same home, change the design, build elsewhere or purchase an existing home. A family with a partial loss may have to coordinate mitigation, repair estimates and contractor availability. The workshop encouraged people to plan ahead without feeling pressure to settle every question at once.

The emotional strain can last as long as the paperwork. The presenters encouraged survivors to use family, community, counseling and long-term recovery support.

Where to get help

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