Consumer Alert: Wildfire season is here and so is the OIC

OLYMPIA, Wash. - As firefighters battle the Upriver Fire in Spokane County, Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer reminds homeowners to be prepared for wildfire — and, in a worst-case scenario, the recovery process.

“Wildfire season has, unfortunately, become a mainstay of life in Washington,” Kuderer said. “You should do everything you can to protect your home, both physically and financially. Our insurance experts will be on-site at Spokane-area disaster assistance centers once they’re established, to provide resources and help homeowners with questions about their insurance policies and the claims process.”

Kuderer also offered tips for the claims process and more information on the OIC’s work on wildfire mitigation.

Filing a claim

• Once local fire officials have determined it’s safe to return home, evaluate your home’s damage and, if appropriate, contact your insurance company and file a claim.
• Your insurance professional can help you review your policy to find out what’s covered and in what amount, including debris removal or additional living expenses. Loss due to wildfire is covered the same as any fire damage.
• The company will send an adjuster out to assess the damage and work with your policy to determine what you’ll be paid for your loss. Your insurance company must meet certain timelines in processing your claim.
• Keep receipts for every expense related to your claim and track every call and conversation with your insurance company and adjuster.

Reviewing your coverage

• Check your coverage regularly to make sure it includes adequate replacement coverage. One of the biggest issues people have is suffering a loss and then learning their coverage maximum isn’t enough to replace what they’ve lost. 
• Talk to your agent or broker and ask about additional living expenses coverage. It pays for living expenses over and above your normal living expenses if your house is uninhabitable and you need another place to stay while it’s being repaired or rebuilt. 
• You’ll need special coverage to protect specific valuables, such as jewelry, fine art, and other items that may have limited coverage under your homeowner policy.
• Prepare a household inventory. Filing a claim is faster and easier with a detailed inventory of your belongings. The NAIC’s Home Inventory App makes it easier. You can also just walk from room to room and video everything in your house to make maintaining an inventory easier.
• Keep your insurance policy, home inventory, receipts, appraisals, and photos and videotape records in a secure secondary location.

The OIC’s work to address wildfire

Kuderer proposed two pieces of legislation during the 2026 session to address wildfire’s impact on home insurance.

• Wildfire risk score transparency: Insurance companies use third-party wildfire risk scores to evaluate a property’s exposure and to determine eligibility for coverage, pricing, and renewals. Companies establishing these scores use satellite imagery, property data, insurance loss data, and fire science to create wildfire risk assessments and then sell these scores to insurance companies. This bill would require insurance companies to disclose wildfire risk scores when used, explain the factors behind the score, and provide plain-language steps consumers can take to improve their score. Property owners who have done mitigation work since their last evaluation, or see demonstrable inaccuracies with their current evaluation, would be able to appeal those decisions.
• Strengthen Washington Homes grant program: This voluntary grant program would fund wildfire mitigation measures based on the Insurance Institute of Home and Business Safety’s (IBHS) standards (PDF 6.42MB). Several states, including Alabama, have implemented similar programs using IBHS standards to reduce claims from extreme weather events. Washington’s pilot program would be funded by the OIC’s regulatory funds and would have no impact on the state budget.

IBHS’s Wildfire Prepared home designations are now available for Washington homeowners. The program offers two levels of protection — Base and Plus — and provides homeowners with a checklist of mitigation steps scientifically proven to reduce wildfire risk and maintain insurability.

How the OIC can help

The OIC’s Consumer Protection program can help answer questions and explain how coverage works. You can also file a complaint if you feel your claim isn’t being handled properly.