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CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER GUIDE

What to do after a house fire in California

Published: May 2026  ·  By L.R. Claims & Consulting

The hours and days after a house fire are overwhelming. Most people focus on finding a safe place to stay, but what happens in the first 72 hours can make or break your insurance claim. Here are the things that actually matter and why.

1. Do not re-enter until officials clear the property

Even if the fire looks contained, a fire-damaged structure can have compromised floors, live electrical hazards, carbon monoxide, and unstable walls. Wait for the fire department to officially clear the property before you go back in. This protects you legally too, if you enter without clearance and something goes wrong, it can complicate your claim.

2. Take photos and video before anything is moved or cleaned

This is the single most important thing you can do for your claim. Walk every room and record everything, walls, ceilings, floors, contents, closets, the garage, the attic if safe. The more documentation you have before cleanup starts, the harder it is for an insurer to dispute the scope of damage later. Use your phone. More is always better.

Tip: Take photos of serial numbers and model numbers on appliances and electronics before they are moved. This speeds up the contents claim significantly.

3. Do not throw anything away yet

Even items that look completely destroyed, furniture, clothing, electronics, should stay in place or be inventoried before disposal. Your insurer needs to see what was lost, and you need a record of it. Throwing things away too early is one of the most common mistakes that reduces a contents payout. If cleanup crews start working, make sure they are photographing and listing everything first.

4. Only do emergency mitigation, nothing more

Board-up, tarping the roof, and water extraction from firefighting efforts are legitimate emergency steps. Do them if needed. But do not start any repairs, demolition, or reconstruction until your insurance company has inspected the damage, or until you have professional guidance. Starting work too early can give the insurer grounds to dispute your claim or reduce the payout.

Tip: Keep every receipt from emergency mitigation work. These costs are reimbursable under most California homeowner policies.

5. Make a contents list from memory right now

Sit down today and start writing, room by room, every item you can remember. Furniture, clothing, kitchen equipment, tools, electronics, jewelry, sports gear, kids' toys. It sounds like a lot, but memories fade fast. The more you document now, the more you can claim. Bank statements, Amazon order history, credit card statements, and photos from social media can all help you reconstruct what you owned.

6. Understand what your ALE (Additional Living Expense) covers

If your home is uninhabitable, most California homeowner policies cover Additional Living Expenses, hotel stays, rental costs, restaurant meals above your normal food budget, and sometimes even storage costs. Many policyholders don't know this benefit exists or underuse it. Keep receipts for everything you spend while displaced. Your insurer should be reimbursing you from day one, not just after the claim settles.

7. Watch out for the most common payout mistakes

• Accepting the first estimate too fast. The insurer's first number is almost never their best number. Smoke damage, hidden structural damage, and contents are routinely undervalued in early estimates.
• Not knowing the difference between ACV and RCV. Actual Cash Value pays you depreciated value. Replacement Cost Value pays what it actually costs to replace. Many people don't know which one they have until it's too late.
• Signing documents you don't fully understand. Some settlement documents include language that closes out your right to reopen the claim. Do not sign anything without understanding what rights you may be giving up.
• Missing deadlines. California insurance policies have specific deadlines for filing proof of loss and for requesting appraisal. Missing them can hurt your claim significantly.

8. You don't have to navigate this alone

A public adjuster works for you, not for the insurance company. We review your policy, document the full scope of loss, prepare and submit your claim, and negotiate on your behalf. We only get paid if we recover more money for you, so there is no risk in getting a second opinion on what your claim is actually worth.