After the fire

The first 30 days, in order.

The emergency is winding down. What comes next is paperwork, phone calls, and decisions — and most of them are easier if you do them in the right order. This page walks you through the first month: your insurance claim, federal aid, debris removal, and how to avoid the people who show up to take advantage. No panic, no sales pitch. Just the sequence.

Insurance: first 72 hours ↓FEMA & federal aid ↓Avoiding contractor fraud ↓

Deadlines, dollar amounts, and rules below are the published defaults as of the last review date shown at the bottom of this page. Several are set per-disaster or per-state — where that’s true, we say so and link you to the official source. Always confirm against the official page for your disaster declaration. This page is general information, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. Your policy and your state’s rules control — for coverage questions, contact your state Department of Insurance.

The first 72 hours

These five steps protect your insurance claim before anything else happens. They apply whether your home burned, was damaged, or is standing but smells like smoke.

Prompt notice is a condition of your policy — file now even if you don’t know the full damage yet. Write down the claim number, the adjuster’s name, and the date. Everything else routes through this. [content.naic.org] [insurance.ca.gov]
Not just the declarations page — every endorsement and form that was in effect on the date of loss. Ask for it in writing: many states, including California, require your insurer to provide a complete copy on request, and your state Department of Insurance can confirm your rights. You can’t know what you’re owed without it. [uphelp.org]
Photos and video of all damage, inside and out. Start an inventory — brand, model, approximate age, purchase price. Pull receipts, credit-card statements, and online order histories while you can still remember what you owned. [propertyinsurancecoveragelaw.com]
If your home is uninhabitable — or you were under evacuation orders — hotel, extra meal costs, temporary rental, and transportation are frequently reimbursable under your policy’s Additional Living Expense (loss-of-use) coverage. A shoebox of receipts is a claim; a memory of expenses is not. [insurance.ca.gov]
Many standard fire policies require a signed, sworn proof of loss within a set window — commonly 30, 60, or 90 days, measured from the loss or from your insurer’s request, depending on your state and policy. California’s standard form allows 60 days, for example; other states differ. Find the number in your policy or ask your state Department of Insurance — don’t assume. [propertyinsurancecoveragelaw.com] [ncleg.gov]
California onlyAdvance-payment rights in a declared disaster

If your loss is part of a declared disaster in California, state law gives you specific advance-payment rights: on request, your insurer must advance at least 4 months of Additional Living Expenses (Ins. Code §§ 2060, 2061(a)(1)), and a no-inventory contents payment — for losses on or after January 1, 2026, at least 60% of your personal-property (contents) limit, up to $350,000, without an itemized inventory (Ins. Code § 10103.7, as amended; for earlier losses, at least 30% of the dwelling limit up to $250,000). ALE coverage runs a minimum of 24 months, extendable to 36, plus 6-month good-cause extensions (Ins. Code § 2060(b)(1)). These are California rules — they do not apply in other states. [uphelp.org] [california.public.law] [california.public.law]

Filing the claim itself? Our step-by-step guide: how to file a wildfire insurance claim and the claims help hub.

FEMA assistance — what it is, what it isn’t

If your fire becomes a presidentially declared disaster with Individual Assistance, FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program can help with immediate essentials, temporary housing, and repairs to make your primary home safe to live in again. [fema.gov] Two things to understand up front: FEMA is a floor, not a rebuild — and by law it cannot pay for anything your insurance covers. [disasterassistance.gov]

What it can cover

  • Serious Needs Assistance — money for immediate essentials: water, food, first aid, prescriptions, fuel. [fema.gov]
  • Displacement and Rental Assistance — a hotel or staying with family while you find housing, then rent. [fema.gov]
  • Home repair or replacement — to make the home “safe, sanitary, or functional,” not to restore it to what it was. [disasterassistance.gov]
  • Other Needs Assistance — personal property, medical/dental, funeral, transportation, moving and storage, child care. [fema.gov]

What it won’t cover

  • Anything insurance pays for. File your insurance claim first — federal law prohibits duplicating benefits. If your settlement is delayed more than 30 days after you file, FEMA may advance funds, but you’ll repay them from the settlement. [disasterassistance.gov]
  • Full restoration. FEMA’s own language: assistance makes the home “clean and safe to live in” — it “does not take the place of insurance.” [disasterassistance.gov]
  • Second homes and business losses. Primary residences only; business losses go through SBA (below). [fema.gov]

How much can it pay? The program maximum is set per federal fiscal year and adjusts every October 1. For disasters declared October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 (FY2025), the maximum was $43,600 for housing assistance plus a separate $43,600 for other needs. FEMA publishes each year’s figure in the Federal Register — check the current amount for your declaration. [federalregister.gov]

One recent reform worth knowing: for disasters declared on or after March 22, 2024, you no longer have to apply for (and be denied) an SBA loan before receiving FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance. [federalregister.gov]

Online

DisasterAssistance.gov

Phone

1-800-621-3362 · 7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days (hours may extend during high disaster activity)

Mobile

FEMA app

In person

Disaster Recovery Center

Four ways to apply, all free. [disasterassistance.gov]

The deadline, honestly: the standard window to apply is 60 days from the date of the disaster declaration — not from the day of the fire, and not from the day you evacuated. FEMA frequently extends this, and late applications can be accepted with justification during a further 60-day late period — but plan against the 60 days, not against an extension. Your exact deadline is set per declaration: find your disaster at fema.gov/disaster and use the date printed there. [fema.gov] [congress.gov]

Debris removal — usually two phases, one signature

In major wildfire disasters, government-run debris removal typically works in two phases. Knowing which phase needs your action — and which doesn’t — saves real money.

Phase 1 — hazardous materials. You don’t have to do anything.

EPA or state crews remove household hazardous materials (propane tanks, paints, batteries, chemicals) from private property automatically. No sign-up, no cost. [fema.gov]

Phase 2 — structural debris and ash. This one requires your signature.

County and Army Corps crews clear structural debris, ash, and foundations — but only if you opt in by signing a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form, at no out-of-pocket cost. If you don’t sign, crews cannot enter your property. [fema.gov] [recovery.lacounty.gov]

The deadline, honestly: ROE deadlines are short and set per disaster — in the 2025 Los Angeles fires, for example, the initial deadline was March 31. Your county’s recovery website publishes the deadline for your fire; find it early. [fema.gov]

  • Opting in does not reduce any other FEMA assistance you’re eligible for. Opting out makes you responsible for all costs, permits, inspections, and your locality’s cleanup standards and deadlines. [fema.gov]
  • If your policy includes debris-removal coverage and you use the government program, expect to assign those specific insurance proceeds to the county — federal law bars being paid twice for the same cost. Unused specified-coverage proceeds may have to be remitted. This isn’t a penalty; it’s how the no-double-dipping rule works. [fema.gov] [recovery.lacounty.gov]
  • Foundation-removal options and soil-testing scope vary by state and county program — confirm the specifics on your county’s recovery site.

The people who show up after a fire

After every major fire, legitimate contractors arrive — and so do people who follow disasters for a living. Five rules separate them:

1

Verify the license yourself. Check your state contractor licensing board, and look for complaints with the BBB and your state attorney general. FEMA does not license, certify, or endorse any contractor — anyone claiming “FEMA-approved” is telling you something FEMA doesn’t offer. [fema.gov] [content.naic.org]

2

Never pay in full upfront. The NAIC’s guidance: pay in installments with a check or credit card so there’s a record, and be wary of large down payments. Down-payment caps vary by state. [content.naic.org]

California onlyThe CSLB caps home-improvement down payments at the lesser of 10% or $1,000. [cslb.ca.gov]

3

Get at least three written estimates — and never sign a blank contract. The contract should list every task, start and finish dates, and prices. [content.naic.org]

4

Be cautious with an Assignment of Benefits (AOB). An AOB lets a contractor deal with your insurer on your behalf — bad actors use it to control and inflate the claim. Read it, understand it, or don’t sign it. [content.naic.org] [nicb.org]

5

FEMA representatives never charge. Not for inspections, not for applications, not for “help getting approved.” Report fraud to the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-223-0814, local police, or your state AG’s consumer protection office. [fema.gov]

Texas onlyExtra disaster-scam protection

Some states add disaster-specific protections — in Texas, for example, it’s illegal for out-of-area contractors to demand payment before starting work after a declared disaster. Check your state AG or Department of Insurance for local rules. [tdi.texas.gov]

Your home is standing — but it smells like a campfire

Smoke, soot, and ash damage to homes that never touched flame can be a covered loss. Don’t let anyone — including your own insurer — wave it off as “just dust” without an evaluation.

  • Report it promptly. Late notice is one of the easiest reasons for an insurer to deny a smoke claim. [wshblaw.com]
  • Photograph soot and ash before cleaning anything. Once it’s wiped away, so is your evidence. [wshblaw.com]
  • Ask for professional testing and remediation, not a visual once-over. Contamination doesn’t have to be visible to be real. [wshblaw.com]
  • If a health agency deems the home unsafe, ask your insurer to extend Additional Living Expense (loss-of-use) coverage until it’s habitable — United Policyholders publishes a sample request letter — and if refused, contact your state Department of Insurance. [uphelp.org]
California onlyBlanket smoke-claim denials are improper (Bulletin 2025-7)

California’s Department of Insurance put it in writing (Bulletin 2025-7): recent court cases “do not support the position that smoke damage is never covered as a matter of law,” and under the state Supreme Court’s Another Planet decision, the physical alteration “need not be visible to the naked eye, nor must it be structural.” Insurers must evaluate each smoke claim on its own merits — blanket denials are improper. [insurance.ca.gov]

Outside California, whether smoke damage is covered turns on your policy’s language and your state’s case law — there’s no national rule. Read the policy; if denied, ask your state Department of Insurance. [actslaw.com]

More depth on this claim type: smoke-damage claims guide.

SBA disaster loans — not just for businesses

The SBA’s disaster loan program is the federal government’s main rebuilding tool for homeowners — the name confuses everyone, but you don’t need a business.

Up to $500,000 to repair or replace your primary residence; homeowners and renters can borrow up to $100,000 for personal property — clothing, furniture, cars, appliances. [sba.gov]

Fixed interest that won’t exceed 4% if you can’t get credit elsewhere (a higher cap applies if you can). [sba.gov]

A mitigation bonus: the loan can be increased by up to 20% above your verified real-estate damage to fund upgrades like defensible space and ember-resistant vents — rebuilding safer than before, on the same loan. [sba.gov]

Don’t wait for your insurance to settle before applying. Apply now; the SBA deducts whatever insurance eventually pays from the eligible loan amount. (The loan can’t fund upgrades beyond code requirements, other than the mitigation bonus above.) [sba.gov] And applying to SBA is no longer a prerequisite for FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance for disasters declared on or after March 22, 2024. [federalregister.gov]

The deadline, honestly: physical-damage loan applications are typically due 60 days from the disaster declaration — the filing period is established in each disaster declaration and often extended. Confirm yours on SBA’s disaster assistance page or call SBA Customer Service at 800-659-2955. [sba.gov] [ecfr.gov]

From FireRisk — optional

When you’re ready to rebuild stronger

Everything above is free and requires nothing from us. This part is optional: when the claims and cleanup settle and you start thinking about the rebuild — defensible space, ember-resistant vents, the upgrades that SBA mitigation funding can cover — FireRisk can connect you with trusted local mitigation pros in your area. No urgency, no obligation, and it will still be here in a month.

Connect me with local mitigation pros →Not now — back to the checklist

Also useful after a fire

Worried about non-renewal? The action center →How to file a wildfire insurance claim →Claim denied? What to do next →Mitigation funding programs by state & county →
All sources (32)— every claim on this page links to one of these

The first 72 hours

FEMA & federal aid

Debris removal

Contractor fraud

Smoke & ash damage

SBA disaster loans

Facts and figures on this page were last verified against their sources on 2026-08-07. Dollar caps and deadlines change — the linked official pages always win. This page is general information, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. In an emergency, follow local authorities and call 911.