Insurance claims can overwhelm wildfire victims. Here’s where to start

It’s difficult to imagine the true toll of losing everything to a fire until it happens. Overwhelming, confusing and paralyzing are just a few ways to describe the process of rebuilding your life after a fire has destroyed your home.

Experts say there can be so much information out there on what financial assistance to apply for, how to file insurance claims or where to find temporary housing that it can become information overload.

Today’s newsletter will help you prepare for and navigate the worst case scenario. I genuinely hope you never have to use this information!

But before you tackle this recovery to-do list, remember to take a moment to check in with yourself and ask for help. Recovering from a fire disaster doesn’t have to be so daunting.

1. It’s OK to ask for help

“It takes a great deal of courage to ask for help, but I think everybody has to really listen to themselves,” said Jennifer Jorge, director of community social services for the Motion Picture and Television Fund. “Everybody is experiencing some degree of grief, of the home that they lost, of the school that their children went to, of the memories, of the tangible items, all of these things.”

Jorge’s team assisted people in the entertainment industry who lost their homes to the Palisades and Eaton fires and shared some tips that can be helpful to the general public.

She recommends that if you find yourself in this perplexing situation, ask for help by tapping into your social circle and reach out to a trusted friend or family member who you can lean on.

Don’t forget that the Federal Emergency Management Agency sets up local disaster recovery centers staffed with representatives from federal and state organizations to help you with any questions you may have. FEMA lists their centers online.

2. Create a ‘recovery diary’

There are a lot of steps to take when rebuilding your life after a fire that include calling state and federal agencies, insurance providers, local organizations offering aid and locating temporary housing.

It’s best to stay organized and have one central place with all of your notes.

Avoid taking notes on scraps of paper that might get lost, or making lists in multiple places, reported Times staff writer Deborah Vankin.

Find a dedicated journal or pad for your “recovery diary” that includes a list of necessary tasks, accomplishments and any accompanying notes, such as who you spoke to and their contact information, confirmation numbers and accompanying dates.

Vankin says to find a journal that pleases you aesthetically or feels good in your hand.

“It’s a seemingly surface detail, but returning to an object every day, throughout the day, that brings you tiny bits of joy is valuable,” she reported.

Once you’ve started your to-do list, break it up into small tasks and focus on one at a time rather than try to tackle, or even process, everything at once, Vankin said.

3. Understand what financial assistance is available to you

You can plan your to-do list by noting the federal agencies and local organizations you’ll want to check in with that provide financial assistance programs in the aftermath of a disaster.

There are several avenues to getting help after a fire disaster, including:

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides federal assistance to individuals and business owners who sustained losses in disaster-declared designated areas. Some forms of assistance include disaster relief, food, housing, insurance, living assistance, loans and mental health counseling. You can find a breakdown of how to apply for FEMA by Times staff writer Jasmine Mendez here. You can apply for assistance online, by calling (800) 621-3362 or by using the FEMA app.

• If you’ve experienced loss because of a fire, check in with local and state organizations that align with your profession or work. During the Palisades and Eaton fires, for example, organizations that supported various communities — such as outdoor workers, restaurant owners, entertainment and music industry professionals, small business owners and educators — offered grants or emergency cash assistance.

• If you lost your job or had your hours cut because of a fire disaster, the Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance, processed through California’s Employment Development Department, is available to workers and self-employed people who do not qualify for regular unemployment. Every state manages its own unemployment insurance program. To learn more about what benefits your state has to offer, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Career One Stop website and select your state.

4. What you need before filing insurance claims

Filing an insurance claim can be a lengthy process. It has become more fraught as insurance companies have canceled or scaled back coverage in fire-prone areas, reported Times staff writers Andrea Chang and Caroline Petrow-Cohen.

Homeowners

In their article, Chang and Petrow-Cohen shared what you should think about and have handy if you have to file an insurance claim as a homeowner:

• When filing a claim with your provider, you have to be prepared to explain what happened to your property in detail. In the aftermath, you’ll want to collect your thoughts and jot down how your home was damaged or destroyed before making the call.
• Be prepared to revisit your residence to take photos of your damaged property and home before any cleanup or debris removal happens; take inventory of what was damaged.
• An adjuster will then investigate your claim to determine whether the insurance company is liable and how much to pay out.

What to expect about filing the claim:

• A wildfire property claim can take several months to resolve, and sometimes years, depending on the insurance provider, the complexity of the damage and the volume of claims filed in an area.
• If your home was completely destroyed in an event that was declared a state of emergency in California, your insurance company is required to immediately pay you a minimum of one-third of the estimated value of your personal belongings and a minimum of four months’ worth of rent for the local area in which you live. Those payments are required whether an adjuster has inspected your home or not, said Michael Soller, a spokesperson with the California Department of Insurance. To see what your state department policies are, visit the National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners to find your state website.

Renters

Document and keep the receipts of the personal property that you have, such as an electric bike, TV and computers, because you’ll need to share a list of these items that were damaged.

What to expect about filing the claim:

• Renters insurance doesn’t cover damage to your rental; that’s the landlord’s responsibility. But your policy will likely cover the cost of lost belongings and temporary housing.

Business owners

Collect business records you’ll need to complete your claim, including documents that prove the value of damaged inventory, equipment or structures.

What to expect about filing the claim:

• Your insurance company will either send you a proof-of-loss form or arrange a time for an adjuster to evaluate your property.
• Depending on your policy, you could receive coverage for commercial property damage, loss of income and the cost of relocating your business, if necessary.

Look for the next installment of In Case of Fire, the L.A. Times’ newsletter guide to wildfire readiness and resilience in your inbox. You’ve got your fifth preparedness assignment; the next will be what you need to know about recovering and rebuilding your life.