Understand what is covered by fire insurance.
Wildfires are something that many of us are familiar with but would rather not think about. Wildfires in the past have known to cause extreme damage and devastation within a matter of minutes. Not only are wildfires extremely hard to contain and put out, but they continue to rage on year after year. Homeowners try their best to protect their properties. Part of this is knowing whether or not home insurance covers wildfire damage.
Standard home insurance coverage offers financial losses you experience as a result of fire:
- Dwelling coverage: This covers the cost of repairs to the singed or burned-away portions of the house. If the house has completely burned to the ground, they’ll pay you a lump sum for the house, up to your limits.
- Personal property: This coverage pays to replace your clothing, furniture, and other belongings after a fire. Individual types of valuables may be treated differently, as items of high-value typically have limits set per item.
- Additional living expenses: Home insurance may help cover the cost of reasonable increased living expenses while you are living away from home as it is being repaired.
- Coverage for landscaping: If your plants, shrubs, trees, and lawn were damaged by fire, you can turn to your home policy for help repairing and replacing your yard.
Some homeowners may find that a home insurer may not offer you insurance coverage or decline your policy because of an exceptionally high risk of fire. This may be because you are too far from a fire department, your home is too close to brush or you live near a canyon where wildfires are prevalent. Unsurprisingly, these conditions are common in California, which has fallen victim to a record number of wildfires in recent years.
The team at Hoffman Brown Company can help you find reliable insurance to protect your home against wildfire damage. For assistance with insurance policy reviews and recommendations, contact us today.
