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What to Do After Wildfire Damage to Your California Home

A California homeowner's step-by-step guide to wildfire damage recovery: safe re-entry, ash and air quality, documenting for insurance, and avoiding scams.

What to Do After Wildfire Damage to Your California Home

Coming home after a wildfire is one of the hardest things a California homeowner can face. Whether your house took a direct hit or you are dealing with smoke, ash, and heat damage from a fire that burned nearby, the days right after the event matter a lot. The choices you make now affect your safety, your insurance claim, and how quickly you can rebuild. This guide walks you through it step by step, with the California-specific pieces that trip people up.

Do Not Rush the Re-Entry

Fire agencies and local officials clear neighborhoods for a reason. Even after the flames are out, a burned or smoke-filled home can hide serious hazards. Hot spots can reignite. Gas lines may be compromised. Power lines could be down and still live. Structures that look standing may have lost integrity in the frame or foundation.

Wait for the all-clear from your fire department or county before you go back. When you do return, bring a flashlight, wear a properly fitted N95 or P100 respirator, sturdy boots, gloves, and long sleeves. Do not turn on gas or electricity yourself. If you smell gas or see damage to utility lines, leave and call your utility company. PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E all have crews that handle this, and it is not a job for a homeowner with a wrench.

Watch the Air Quality

Wildfire damage is not only about what burned. Smoke and fine particulate matter linger long after a fire moves through, and California's Central Valley and foothill communities can sit under unhealthy air for days. Check AirNow.gov or your regional air district before spending time outside or running fans that pull outdoor air in.

Ash from burned homes is not ordinary dust. It can contain lead, asbestos, and other toxic material from older building products. Do not dry-sweep it. Do not let kids or pets play in it. If you are cleaning small amounts yourself, wet it down lightly, wear a respirator and gloves, and bag it. Heavy ash cleanup and any suspected asbestos should go to a licensed abatement contractor, not a weekend project.

Document Everything Before You Touch It

This is the step people regret skipping. Before you clean, move, or throw anything away, document the wildfire damage thoroughly. Your insurance claim will lean heavily on what you can prove.

Walk every room and the exterior with your phone. Take wide shots and close-ups. Photograph the roof, siding, windows, HVAC units, fences, and landscaping. Open cabinets and closets and capture the contents. If you have older photos or video of the home before the fire, pull those together too, because the contrast helps.

Start a written inventory of damaged and destroyed belongings. Note what it was, roughly when you bought it, and what it would cost to replace. It feels tedious, but a detailed list is what turns a vague claim into a paid one. Keep every receipt for anything you spend during the emergency, including hotel stays, meals, and supplies, since these often fall under additional living expenses in your policy.

Call Your Insurer and Understand the FAIR Plan

Contact your insurance company as soon as you safely can. Ask them to open a claim and send an adjuster. Write down your claim number, the names of everyone you speak with, and the dates. California policies for a declared disaster give you additional protections, including extended time to submit contents inventories and, in many cases, an advance payment for living expenses.

If your regular insurer dropped you or you could not find coverage, you may be on the California FAIR Plan. The FAIR Plan is the state's insurer of last resort for high fire-risk areas, and it covers a lot of homes in the wildland-urban interface. Its coverage is more limited than standard policies, so read your declarations page carefully and know what it does and does not include before you assume something is covered.

Working With the Adjuster

The adjuster is central to your claim, so be prepared. Do a walkthrough with them, hand over your photos and inventory, and take notes on what they say. You are allowed to ask questions and to disagree.

If the settlement offer feels low or the scope of repairs seems incomplete, you do not have to accept it on the spot. You can request a re-inspection, get independent repair estimates, and, for larger losses, consider hiring a licensed public adjuster who works for you rather than the carrier. The California Department of Insurance also runs a consumer hotline that can help if you feel stuck. Keep your own paper trail the whole way through, because your records are your leverage.

Watch Out for Scams

Disasters bring out contractors and "consultants" who prey on stressed homeowners. Be careful. In California, anyone doing repair work over 500 dollars must hold a license from the Contractors State License Board, and you can verify any license for free on the CSLB website. Be wary of anyone who shows up unsolicited, demands large cash payments up front, pressures you to sign over your insurance check, or cannot give you a written contract. If a deal feels rushed or too good, slow down and check them out.

Get the Roof and Structure Inspected

Even homes that survive the flames often carry hidden wildfire damage. Radiant heat can warp shingles, melt vents, and crack seals. Embers land in gutters, attics, and under eaves and can cause damage that is not obvious from the ground. Before you assume the envelope of your house is sound, have qualified pros look at it.

Bring in a licensed structural engineer or general contractor for the frame and foundation, and have a local roofer inspect the roof, flashing, and attic for heat and ember damage. Have your HVAC system checked before you run it, since ductwork can pull smoke residue through the whole house. Getting these inspections in writing also strengthens your insurance file.

The Practical Takeaway

Recovering from wildfire damage is a marathon, not a sprint. Prioritize safety first, document before you clean, and let your paper trail do the heavy lifting with your insurer. Move at a steady pace, lean on licensed and verified professionals, and keep copies of everything. The homeowners who come through this best are the ones who stay organized, ask questions, and refuse to be rushed by anyone, including their own urge to get back to normal.