3 Tips for Clients With Wildfire Claims – IA Magazine

In many parts of the United States, “wildfire season” is starting to feel like “all year long.”
As blazes grow larger and more unpredictable, independent agents are on the front line helping
homeowners and small businesses navigate confusing and emotionally charged wildfire insurance claims.

The good news: property insurance is designed for exactly these moments. The bad news: after a wildfire,
most clients have no idea what their policy actually covers, what “additional living expenses” really mean,
or why the adjuster can’t just cut them a check tomorrow. That’s where you step innot just as an insurance
expert, but as a guide, translator, and occasionally, part-time therapist.

This article breaks the process down into three practical, agent-focused tips you can share with clients who
have wildfire claims. We’ll look at why filing quickly matters, how to document and mitigate damage without
sabotaging coverage, and how to prepare for an adjuster’s inspection so that the claim moves faster and more
smoothly. Along the way, we’ll sprinkle in real-world scenarios and small conversation scripts you can use
right away.

Tip 1: Encourage Clients to File Their Wildfire Claim Quickly

After a wildfire, clients are exhausted, overwhelmed, and often displaced. Filing a claim can easily slide
down the to-do list behind “find somewhere to sleep tonight” and “figure out how to entertain the kids with
no Wi-Fi.” However, their policy almost certainly requires prompt notice of loss, and carriers are managing
hundreds or thousands of claims at once after a catastrophe.

Why speed matters

Filing quickly starts the official clock. The sooner the claim is reported:

• The sooner an adjuster can be assigned and schedule an inspection.
• The sooner the client can get advances for additional living expenses (ALE) or emergency repairs.
• The less likely the carrier will question delays or missing documentation later.

From the carrier’s perspective, prompt reporting also reduces the risk of additional, preventable damage.
If the loss isn’t reported and the home sits open to the elements for weeks, disputes may arise about what
the fire caused versus what resulted from neglect.

What you can tell clients on day one

Give clients a straightforward game plan:

• “First step: Call your insurer or claims hotline as soon as it’s safe.”
  Make sure they understand they can call even if they don’t have full details or a complete inventory yet.
  The claim can be supplemented later.
• “Ask for your claim number and write it everywhere.”
  Encourage clients to put it in their phone, email, and a notebook. Every call, every email, every receipt
  should reference that number.
• “Request a copy of the full policy.”
  Most people have never read their homeowners or business policy. Having a certified or electronic copy
  on hand helps you and the client understand coverage for fire, smoke damage, debris removal, and ALE.

Managing expectations without making promises

Wildfire claims are rarely quick. Between high demand for contractors, adjuster backlogs, and supply-chain
issues, timelines can stretch. A simple script can keep you on safe ground:

“I can’t promise how fast the carrier will pay, but filing now gets you in line. I’ll help you understand
what’s covered and what documents they’ll likely ask for so we don’t lose time later.”

This reinforces your role as a partner in the process, not someone who can magically control the carrier’s
timeline or the final settlement number.

Tip 2: Help Clients Take Stock, Document, and Mitigate Further Damage

Once the claim is filed and everyone is safe, the next step is to balance two priorities: documenting the
loss thoroughly and preventing additional damage. Clients often think they must choose one or the other.
You can help them do both.

Safety first, always

Before anyone goes near the property, remind clients:

• Wait for local authorities to confirm it’s safe to return.
• Watch for smoldering debris, unstable structures, downed power lines, and contaminated ash.
• Use masks and gloveswildfire debris can be hazardous, not just “a little dusty.”

As their agent, you’re not a structural engineer or a health official, so avoid making safety guarantees.
Instead, encourage clients to follow local guidance and to err on the side of caution.

Documenting damage like a pro

After a wildfire, memory is unreliable. Smoke, stress, and shock blur details. That’s why documentation is
everything in a wildfire insurance claim. Encourage your clients to:

• Take photos and videos of everything.
  Exterior, interior, close-ups of damaged items, wide-angle shots of rooms, the roof, the yard, vehicles,
  and outbuildings.
• Don’t throw things away too soon.
  Unless something is a health hazard, it’s often best to keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them
  or given permission to discard them.
• Start a simple loss inventory.
  A spreadsheet or notebook listing items, approximate age, estimated cost, and condition pre-loss is often
  enough to begin. Old photos, online purchase histories, and bank/card statements can help reconstruct
  what was there.

For many clients, the idea of listing every spoon they’ve ever owned is overwhelming. Remind them that they
can tackle the inventory in stages and that “as complete as reasonably possible” is the goalnot perfection.

Mitigation: what to fix now (and what to leave alone)

Policies generally require insureds to take steps to prevent further damage. At the same time, major repairs
or permanent changes before an inspection can complicate the claim. Simple guidance for clients:

• Okay to do now:
  Tarping a burned section of roof, boarding up blown-out windows, shutting off water if pipes are damaged,
  moving salvageable items away from standing water or soot, and cleaning only what’s necessary for safety.
• Wait for adjuster guidance before:
  Tearing out large sections of drywall, removing flooring, demolishing structures, or hiring contractors
  for major repairs.

The golden rule: “Document it, then do it.”
Photos and videos before and after mitigation work give adjusters a clear picture of the original damage and
the steps taken to protect the property.

Additional living expenses: the coverage everyone forgets about

Additional living expenses (ALE), or loss-of-use coverage, is often a lifeline after a wildfire. Clients may
not realize that their policy can help with:

• Temporary housing (hotel, rental home, apartment).
• Increased food costs when they can’t cook at home.
• Extra commuting or transportation expenses.
• Storage and furniture rental for a temporary residence.

Encourage clients to keep every receipt related to displacement: rent, hotel bills, meals,
laundry, extra gas, even pet boarding if needed. Carriers will usually subtract “normal” expenses from the
higher, post-loss amounts, so detailed records help show what is truly “additional.”

Tip 3: Set Clients Up for a Smooth, Accurate Adjuster Inspection

A wildfire claim can rise or fall on the quality of the adjuster’s inspection. Adjusters are human: they’re
juggling large caseloads, working long hours, and facing emotional conversations all day. Your job is to help
your client be the kind of policyholder adjusters loveorganized, prepared, and realisticwithout giving up
any of their rights.

Prep your client and the property

Before the inspection, encourage clients to:

• Have their claim number, contact info, and policy copy handy.
• Gather their photo and video documentation in one place (phone album, shared drive, folder).
• Print or open their preliminary inventory, even if it’s incomplete.
• Make a short list of “must-see” items: structural concerns, key personal property, smoke damage areas, and any safety hazards.

If you can attend the inspectionvirtually or in personthat’s even better. You can help translate policy
language, clarify prior conversations with underwriting, and make sure the adjuster captures the big picture.

Coaching clients on communication

Many policyholders view the adjuster as either a hero or a villain. In reality, they’re more like a field
accountant backed by a thick policy booklet. You can reduce friction by coaching your clients to:

• Answer questions honestly, without exaggeration or minimizing.
• Say “I’m not sure; I can check my records” instead of guessing.
• Take notes during the visit, including any verbal representations about next steps or coverage.
• Follow up important conversations with a brief email summarizing what was discussed.

Written records of communication can be extremely helpful if disputes arise later about what was promised,
requested, or agreed.

When things get complicated

Some claims are straightforward. Others are a mix of partial losses, code upgrades, smoke contamination,
landscaping damage, and disputed repair methods. In those cases, your clients may need:

• Contractors or engineers to provide independent repair estimates.
• Industrial hygienists or remediation experts for smoke and soot damage.
• Legal counsel or a public adjuster if serious coverage disputes or underpayments arise.

As an agent, you can’t give legal advice and shouldn’t promise outcomes. But you can say:

“If you feel the estimate doesn’t match the damage you’re seeing, we can talk about getting a second
opinion from a contractor or, if needed, exploring other professional help.”

That keeps you firmly in your lane while still supporting the client’s right to advocate for a fair,
well-documented settlement.

Extra Insights: Real-World Experiences With Wildfire Claims

Beyond the three core tips, agents who regularly deal with wildfire claims tend to share similar storiesand
similar lessons. Adding these perspectives to your client conversations can make you not just helpful, but
unforgettable.

Lesson 1: Underinsurance shows up when it’s too late

Many homeowners only discover they’re underinsured when the contractor’s rebuild estimate lands in their inbox.
After a major wildfire, construction costs spike due to “demand surge”sudden, high demand for labor and
materials in a limited area. Clients who were borderline underinsured before the fire may face painful gaps
in coverage.

While you can’t fix underinsurance after the fact, you can help clients understand what’s happening and discuss
options like phased rebuilding, prioritizing structural integrity over cosmetic upgrades, or exploring
available state or federal assistance programs. Then, when renewal time comes around, you can use that experience
to review limits more carefully for all of your book of business in wildfire-prone regions.

Lesson 2: Smoke damage is realeven if the house is still standing

Clients often assume that if the house didn’t burn down, their losses are “minor.” But smoke can infiltrate
walls, insulation, HVAC systems, electronics, and personal belongings. Lingering odors aren’t just annoying;
they can signal deeper contamination that requires professional cleaning or replacement.

In practice, this means encouraging clients to mention:

• Persistent smoke odors in specific rooms or closets.
• Soot around vents, light fixtures, and windows.
• Electronics behaving strangely after the fire.

Part of your value is validating these concerns and making sure the adjuster understands them as part of the
overall wildfire insurance claimnot as “extras” or afterthoughts.

Lesson 3: Additional living expenses cause emotional friction

ALE disputes are rarely about the math alone. They’re about people’s expectations of normal life. One family
may be content in a modest rental, while another feels their kids’ routines and schooling require something
closer to pre-loss conditions. Carriers talk in terms of “reasonable and necessary.” Clients talk in terms
of “my kids need their own rooms.”

As an agent, you can help by reframing:

“ALE is designed to keep you at roughly the same standard of living you had before the firenot to upgrade,
and not to downgrade. Let’s document what ‘normal’ looked like for your family so we can explain it clearly
to the adjuster.”

Encouraging clients to track extra mileage, meals, and rental costs in an organized way also turns a potentially
tense conversation into a more objective one grounded in numbers and documentation.

Lesson 4: The agent becomes a project manager of emotions and details

Wildfire claims are marathon events, not sprints. The initial adrenaline fades, and clients still have months
of decisions ahead: temporary housing, rebuilding options, contractor selection, and ongoing negotiations with
the carrier. Agents who shine in this environment do a few things consistently:

• Check in periodically without waiting for the client to call in crisis.
• Translate insurance jargon (“actual cash value,” “replacement cost,” “ordinance or law coverage”) into plain English.
• Help clients prioritize steps: “This week, let’s focus on documenting your personal property. Next week, we’ll look at contractor estimates.”
• Remind clients of small wins along the wayan advance payment, a clarified coverage question, an approved estimate.

You may not be handling the claim directly, but you’re often the only professional in the picture who knows
both the client and the carrier well enough to keep things moving and keep emotions from boiling over.

Lesson 5: Every wildfire story is different, but the core principles are the same

Whether your client lost an entire home, suffered heavy smoke damage, or evacuated for days with only their
pets and a laptop, the fundamentals still apply:

• File the wildfire claim quickly.
• Document losses and mitigation efforts thoroughly.
• Prepare for the adjuster’s inspection with organized information and clear communication.

If you can anchor each client’s unique story in those shared principles, you make the chaos feel a little more
manageableand you reinforce your role as a trusted advisor, not just a name on their policy.

Conclusion: Turning Chaos Into a Plan

Wildfires are unpredictable, fast-moving, and emotionally devastating. The insurance process doesn’t erase that,
but it can provide structure, resources, and a path forward. For clients, the difference between a miserable
claim experience and a manageable one often comes down to the guidance they receive from their agent.

By encouraging clients to file their wildfire claim quickly, helping them document and mitigate damage
appropriately, and preparing them for an accurate, constructive adjuster inspection, you turn an overwhelming
situation into a step-by-step plan. You can’t control the fire, the market, or the ultimate settlement amount,
but you can give clients clarity, confidence, and a feeling that someone is firmly in their corner.

In a world where wildfire seasons are getting longer and losses are getting larger, that combination of
technical knowledge and human empathy is exactly what people needand exactly what independent agents are
uniquely positioned to deliver.