After one of the most destructive wildfire seasons on record, Fire Help Center warns that two-thirds of American homeowners may be significantly underinsured, and most don’t know it until it’s too late.

CHESTNUT HILL, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 20, 2026 / As thousands of Americans begin filing insurance claims following the 2026 wildfire season, the most destructive in at least a decade, Fire Help Center is warning homeowners about a little-known financial trap that affects the majority of policyholders: chronic underinsurance.

Homeowners often assume their policy will cover the full cost of rebuilding after a wildfire. Most of them are wrong.

The Underinsurance Crisis Harming Homeowners

According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately two-thirds of American homeowners are underinsured for wildfire damage, typically by around 20%. In some cases, that rises to 60%, even when they have done everything right.

After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, 74% of homeowners who filed claims were underinsured. After the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles, 75% of survivors reported their homes were underinsured.

California Department of Insurance data covering more than 74,000 fire-related claims found that more than 70% of insured homeowners were underinsured by an average of roughly 20%.

Research from Professor Robert Klein, one of the country’s leading experts on homeowners underinsurance, found that approximately 80% of wildfire claimants are underinsured by an average of 25%.

His research also indicates that nearly all homeowners intend to fully insure their homes and believe they have done so, even when they haven’t.

What Homeowners Insurance Typically Covers After a Wildfire

Most standard policies cover wildfire damage, including flames, smoke, and ash, as a named peril, even if the fire starts nearby and spreads to your home. A typical policy may help pay for:

  • Additional living expenses (ALE): Temporary housing, meals, and other necessary expenses if the home is unlivable.
  • Debris removal: The cost of removing fire-damaged materials, subject to the policy’s terms and limits.
  • Dwelling and other structures: Repair or rebuilding of the house, attached structures, and eligible detached garages, sheds, and fences, up to the coverage limit.
  • Personal property and smoke damage: Replacement of belongings such as furniture, clothing, and electronics destroyed by fire or smoke, plus smoke damage to the home’s interior, subject to policy limits and exclusions.

Why Standard Coverage Often Falls Short

The problem is not whether a policy covers wildfires, but how much it covers and whether that reflects what rebuilding costs today:

  • Deductibles and exclusions: Homeowners generally pay their deductible first, and the insurer pays only up to policy limits.
  • Personal property caps: Standard policies often cap belongings at a fraction of dwelling coverage.
  • Policy non-renewals: Insurers have been dropping homeowners in high-risk areas at an accelerating pace. Washington state saw approximately 7,000 non-renewals in 2023 alone due to wildfire concerns. California’s FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort, approved a 29.1% rate increase in 2026 following heavy losses from the 2025 LA fires.
  • Post-disaster demand surges: When a neighborhood burns, demand for contractors, materials, and labor spikes, driving costs far above what a policy was written to cover.
  • Rising reconstruction costs: Material and labor costs have increased significantly since many homeowners last reviewed their limits.

What Homeowners Insurance May Not Cover

Although wildfire damage is generally covered, homeowners may have to cover costs above their policy limits, damage below their deductible, or excluded or low-limit property. Flood damage is generally excluded even if it occurs alongside a wildfire, so separate flood insurance may be needed.

Vacant or unoccupied homes may also face restrictions, though rules and exceptions vary. Relocation expenses might not qualify either if the home is undamaged and the homeowner leaves solely because of an evacuation order.

These gaps are easiest to address before a disaster. Homeowners who understand their policy’s exclusions in advance can close coverage gaps while there is still time to do so.

Insurance in Wildfire-Prone Areas Is Getting Harder and More Expensive

Standard policies generally cover wildfire damage nationwide, but insurers weigh local wildfire risk, nearby vegetation, construction materials, and distance from fire services when deciding whether to insure a home and what to charge.

Two homes in the same community can receive different rates or coverage options based on their individual construction, vegetation, proximity to fire protection, and wildfire history. Homeowners in high-risk areas may encounter:

  • Costlier last-resort coverage: A 2026 analysis found the average California FAIR Plan policy cost just over $3,000 per year, versus a statewide private average of $1,571, roughly twice as much for more limited fire coverage.
  • Higher deductibles: A June 2026 Stanford report noted that average California deductibles rose from $1,813 at the end of 2020 to $2,553 in March 2026. Some policies require a separate wildfire deductible.
  • Higher premiums: The U.S. Treasury published a January 2025 report that said homeowners in the 20% of ZIP codes with the highest expected climate-disaster losses paid an average of $2,321 annually, 82% more than those in the 20% lowest-risk ZIP codes.
  • Limited availability: A February 2026 GAO report found California FAIR Plan residential policies grew from approximately 200,000 in 2020 to 450,000 in 2024, with about 78% of that growth in areas with major, severe, or extreme wildfire risk.
  • Restrictions and requirements: Some insurers limit coverage or exclude wildfire damage, depending on state law and the policy. Others offer discounts or require risk-reduction measures such as clearing vegetation or using fire-resistant roofing.

What Wildfire Victims Should Know Right Now

Fire Help Center urges people affected by 2026 wildfires to take these steps before accepting any insurance settlement:

  • Document everything before cleanup. Photographs, videos, and written inventories are essential to supporting a full claim.
  • Negotiate after the first offer. Initial offers frequently underestimate rebuilding costs. Homeowners have the right to negotiate and to request an itemized explanation of how the payout was calculated.
  • Ask for the policy language behind any denial, and contact your state’s insurance department if you need help challenging it.
  • Hire a public adjuster or attorney if needed. A public adjuster works for the policyholder, not the insurer, and can independently assess the full cost of losses.
  • Know that insurance may not be your only option. When negligence, such as utility equipment failure or improperly maintained power lines, causes a wildfire, homeowners may have legal options to recover losses insurance does not cover.

Other Sources of Compensation After a Wildfire

The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that U.S. fires caused $19.1 billion in direct property loss in 2024, including an estimated $550 million from California wildfires. Depending on the cause of the fire and their coverage, homeowners may have several sources of recovery:

  • FAIR Plan or other state insurance: A state-sponsored insurer of last resort, though coverage may be more limited.
  • FEMA disaster assistance: If a wildfire receives a federal disaster declaration, eligible survivors may qualify for help with certain uninsured or underinsured losses. FEMA assistance generally does not replace homeowners insurance.
  • Homeowners insurance claim: Covered damage to the home, personal property, and additional living expenses.
  • SBA disaster loans: Low-interest loans to repair or replace a primary residence and personal property.
  • Third-party settlement or class action: When a wildfire allegedly results from the actions of a utility or other entity, property owners may join a settlement or class action.
  • Wildfire lawsuit: If another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct caused the fire, homeowners may pursue compensation for property damage, lost use of their home, and other recoverable losses. Billions of dollars have been awarded in individual wildfire cases.

These options can overlap, and receiving money from one source can affect eligibility for another. FEMA’s case study of the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, found that underinsurance and disputed insurance settlements left some survivors struggling to pay rebuilding costs.

Before the Next Wildfire: What Homeowners Should Review

Fire Help Center recommends that homeowners, especially in fire-prone areas, confirm wildfire coverage and any exclusions or special conditions. You should also:

  • Check dwelling limits against current construction costs
  • Confirm whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value
  • Keep an updated inventory of belongings
  • Know your deductible
  • Review personal property limits
  • Understand ALE limits

If an insurer cancels or declines to renew, start looking for replacement coverage early, since finding a new policy is harder when wildfire risk is high. Your state’s insurance department can explain alternatives such as FAIR Plans.

Because most homeowners only discover coverage gaps after a fire, a policy review done now is one of the most effective protections available. Taking an hour to check limits and update an inventory can prevent far larger losses later.

When Homeowners Insurance Isn’t Enough

Fire Help Center’s free case review exists precisely for situations where insurance falls short. When negligence causes a wildfire, victims may be entitled to compensation beyond what their insurer provides, as in some of the country’s largest wildfire settlements, including Pacific Gas and Electric’s $13.5 billion payout and PacifiCorp’s $575 million settlement.

Statutes of limitations set state-specific filing deadlines for wildfire lawsuits, so Fire Help Center encourages anyone affected by a 2026 wildfire to seek a free case review before those deadlines pass.

To learn more about your options after a wildfire or to request a free, no-obligation case review, visit firehelpcenter.com or call (866) 866-0753.

About Fire Help Center

Fire Help Center provides resources and support for wildfire victims across the United States, including educational guides, legal information, and free case reviews. For more information, call (866) 866-0753 or visit firehelpcenter.com.

Contact:

Fire Help Center
1330 Boylston St., Suite #400, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
(866) 866-0753
https://www.firehelpcenter.com/
connect@firehelpcenter.com

SOURCE: Fire Help Center

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