Wildfire Resources Page
Disaster Preparedness Resource Pages: Home Page | News Releases | Helpful Publications | TDI's Role in a Disaster | Contact TDI | Prevent Insurance Fraud | File an Insurance Complaint
Fires and wildfires can cause tremendous property damage and loss of life. Most residential fires are started in kitchens and cooking areas, and 90 percent of wildfires are started by humans. Texas' often severe wildfire seasons are attributed to low levels of precipitation and high daily temperatures combined with an abundance of vegetation that easily ignites on dry and windy days. State officials urge caution when burning debris, building campfires, grilling outdoors, and disposing of cigarette butts.
Update: Gov. Rick Perry renewed his wildfire emergency declaration in January for the 13th time since it was issued on Dec. 21, 2010. The declaration says the state continues to be under an extreme fire hazard. Visit the governor's Texas Wildfires page for more information.
Before the Wildfire: Insurance Tips | General Tips | Evacuation Tips | After the Wildfire: General Tips | Insurance Tips | Repairing Your Home
Current Conditions, Information, and Resources
Frequently Asked Questions about Wildfires
Texas State Fire Marshal's Office
Protect Your House from a Wildfire (PDF)
Daily Fire Danger Map
Map of Burn Bans and Local Disaster Declarations
Current Wildfire Conditions and Information
Texas Division of Emergency Management
SOC Situation Reports
National Weather Service (NWS) Fire Outlook Page
NWS Local Weather Information
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
TDI Press Releases
-
In the Event of a Fire Loss Covered by Insurance (September 6, 2011)
Report Suspected Arson
Gov. Rick Perry has directed state authorities to investigate and aggressively pursue anyone who has intentionally started wildfires at the risk of destroying property and lives. According to the Texas Forest Service, 90 percent of Texas wildfires are caused by humans. The State Fire Marshal's Office has initiated a 24-hour toll-free Arson Hot Line to report suspected arson fires and county burn ban violations.
1-877-4FIRE45 (434-7345)
Before a Fire
Insurance Tips
- Keep an inventory. Fill out TDI's Home Inventory Checklist (PDF) that you can print or save to a disk and keep somewhere secure. Consider e-mailing it to yourself to ensure you'll have it wherever you are. Also take photos or videotape of each room and the exterior of your home to keep with your inventory.
- Gather important documents and insurance cards and policies. Unless they are stored in a safe place, take health insurance cards; auto and home insurance policies; and an inventory of your possessions, including receipts and photos or videos.
- Know what your policy covers. Make certain your homeowners or commercial property coverage is still in force and that it provides adequate coverage to pay the full replacement cost of your property. Check your auto policy to see if you have comprehensive coverage "other than collision." Comprehensive coverage pays if a storm, fire, or flood damages your car. Find out how much coverage you have for "additional living expenses" to cover lodging, food, and other expenses if you're forced to vacate your residence after suffering a covered loss.
- Know your policy limits. Contact your agent and check the limits of your policies. For homeowners policies, ask about limits for contents and buildings. Your limits may be too low if replacement costs have risen because of new additions, improvements, or inflation.
- Review your health coverage. Find out if you'll be able to receive non-emergency care from out-of-network providers, if needed, without accruing additional out-of-pocket costs.
- Consider renters insurance if you don't have it. A landlord's insurance policy usually covers the house or building, but not the personal property of the building's tenants. If you rent an apartment, duplex, house, or townhouse, you may need renters insurance to protect your belongings.
- Consider business interruption coverage. Business interruption coverage compensates you for lost income and certain operating expenses if you are forced to vacate your business because of a loss covered in your policy.
- Consider alternative storing methods for company files. Important documents can be scanned and stored in a safe location. Also consider taking photos of office equipment and furniture.
General Tips
- Take precautions to avoid a house fire. Never smoke when near flammable liquids. Be cautious with alternative heating sources. Place space heaters at least three feet away from flammable materials. Store ashes in a metal container outside and away from house. Place a screen in front of the fireplace. Keep matches away from children. Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated.
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your house. Put them outside bedrooms or at the top of open stairways, but not in the kitchen. Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace alarms every 10 years.
- Check your home for fire hazards. Have electrical wires in house checked by an electrician. Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose plugs. Ensure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring. Don't overload extension cords.
- Install fire extinguishers in your home and teach everyone to use them.
- Buy emergency repair items. These items include asking tape, lumber, plastic sheeting, sandbags and sand. Keep all receipts for insurance or tax purposes.
- Review escape routes with your family. Practice escaping from each room. Make sure windows aren't nailed or painted shut. Consider buying escape ladders and ensure that burglar bars, etc. are easily opened from inside. Teach everyone to stay low to the floor where the air is safer when escaping the fire.
- Ask your local fire department to inspect your home and offer fire safety and prevention tips. Remove items from around the house that could burn. These include wood piles, lawn furniture, and grills.
- Prepare for being away from home. Place valuables, documents, etc. in the car ready for a quick departure. Also load your pets in the car. Assemble a disaster kit that you can grab in a hurry. Include the following in the kit:
- Water: Pack enough bottled water for every person to have one gallon of water for three days.
- Food: Non-perishable foods, canned goods, can opener, and utensils.
- Extra clothing: Clothes, shoes, and blankets
- First aid kit: Gloves, gauze, soap, hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, bandages, pain relievers, thermometer, and tape.
- Medications: Prescriptions, eye glasses and hearing aids, and items for dentures, and contact lenses. Pack prescriptions in their original containers. Ask your doctor about storing medications.
- Emergency items: Battery-powered radio, flashlights, extra batteries, cash and change, a whistle, shovel, basic tools, baby wipes, garbage bags, toilet paper, and a state map.
- Baby items: Formula, diapers, bottles, powdered milk, medications, baby wipes and diaper rash ointment.
- Personal hygiene supplies: Soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and cleaning cloths
- Pet supplies: Medical records, medications, ID tags or microchips, current photos, leash and carrier, three-day supply of food and water, can opener, pet beds and toys, paper towels and plastic bags, and a list of hotels that accept pets.
- Important documents: Insurance cards and policies, copies of prescriptions or unfilled written prescriptions, list of all medications, wills, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds, passports, drivers license or other identification, Social Security cards, bank account and credit card numbers, home inventory, important telephone numbers, and family records (birth and marriage certificates).
Evacuation Tips
- Decide in advance under what circumstances you'll evacuate your home. Whenever local authorities recommend evacuation, you should leave. The advice of authorities is based on experience and knowledge of the wildfire and its potential for destruction.
- Monitor the news for timely evacuation information. Learn all routes leading out of your house and out of your neighborhood.
- Work out a way for family members to communicate if you are separated. Remember that in a severe storm, local phone service may be disrupted. Ask a friend or relative who lives outside your immediate area to serve as a point of contact.
- Fill your gasoline tank to prepare to evacuate. Park your car facing the direction of escape and roll up the windows.
- Lock and secure the premises. Turn on outside lights and every room in the house. Take small valuables and important documents with you. Close all doors inside the house and outside shutters, doors, windows, and vents. Remove flammable drapes and curtains. Disconnect any automatic garage door openers to enable them to be opened by hand. Close the garage doors.
- Prepare the outside of your home. Shut off natural gas, propane, or fuel oil supplies at the source. Connect garden houses. Fill pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, and any other outdoor containers with water. Wet down or remove shrubs within 15 feet of your residence
- Keep fire fighting tools handy such as ladder to reach the roof, shovel, rake and buckets. Place combustible patio furniture inside. Seal vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.
- Exercise fire safety when you're at a temporary location. Restrict the use of candles and alternate or portable methods for cooking to well-ventilated areas. Keep combustible materials (especially paper and cardboard boxes) away from open flames, space heaters, and other electrical devices. Keep electrical circuits from overloading by limiting the number of electrical devices plugged into outlets. When staying in hotels and motels make sure the smoke detector is working.
- Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Never use generators, grills, camp stoves, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage, or camper—or even outside near an open window. Health Alert: Carbon Monoxide Warning!
After a Wildfire
General Tips
- Return when authorities have said it's safe to do so. Listen to news reports to find out if the water is safe to drink. Stay out of any buildings surrounded by flood water. Continue listening to the radio for emergency updates and news reports.
- If you are returning home after evacuation, enter your home with caution. Also, be wary of wildlife or other animals and use a stick to poke through debris to avoid encountering snakes. Use caution when walking, as there could be hidden foundation problems.
- Turn flashlights on before you enter your home to avoid sparks that could cause a fire or explosion if there's a gas leak. Do not smoke or use oil, gas lanterns, candles, or torches for lighting inside a damaged home until you are sure there is no leaking gas or other flammable materials present.
- Inspect your home. Check the roof first and put out any roof fires, sparks or embers. Check the attic for hidden burning sparks. Do not enter a building if you detect heat or smoke.
- Do not open safe or strong boxes for several hours after a fire. They can hold intense heat and should be cooled prior to opening.
- Use the water you put in your pool or hot tub to extinguish any small fires. If the power is out, try connecting a hose to the outlet on your water heater.
- Maintain a "fire watch" for several hours after the fire. Re-check for smoke and sparks throughout the house.
- Be wary of refrigerator contents. Electricity may be restored but it might have been off long enough to ruin the contents of your refrigerator or freezer.
Insurance Tips
- Contact your insurance agent or company promptly. If you do not have your insurance policy information, TDI's Consumer Help Line at 1-800-252-3439 can help you locate your agent or insurance company. Your agent and carrier should have copies of your insurance information. Follow up immediately with a written claim to protect your rights under the Texas' prompt-payment law. Keep a record of all contacts you have with your company.
- Make a list of your damaged property. Photograph or videotape the damage if possible. Don't throw away damaged items until a claims adjuster has seen them. Be prepared to answer questions about the extent and severity of the damage.
- Make necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage. If there is partial damage to your home, take reasonable and necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage. Cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out. Don't make permanent repairs until instructed by your insurance company. Keep a record of your repair expenses and save all receipts.
- Ask your agent about additional living expenses (ALE). This coverage reimburses you for additional necessary and reasonable food or lodging expenses while your home is being repaired. Most policies pay up to 20 percent of you home's insured value. Provide your insurance company with documentation regarding your expenses. Keep your receipts.
- Refer to your policy to know what deductible you'll be required to pay. Most homeowners policies contain two deductibles: one for windstorm and hail losses, and one for all other losses.
- Try to be present when the adjuster inspects your damage. You may also have your contractor present at the inspection or have the contractor review the adjuster's report before settling the claim. Don't accept an unfair settlement.
- If you hire a public insurance adjuster, make sure the public adjuster is licensed by TDI. Public insurance adjusters work independently and charge a fee for their services. Public insurance adjusters must disclose their fees in the written contract with you. To learn whether a public insurance adjuster is licensed, call TDI.
- If your home is not insured, contact your local Red Cross or a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center for assistance. Disaster assistance is money or direct assistance to individuals, families, and businesses. It is meant to help you with critical expenses that cannot be covered in other ways. Call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Repairing Your Home
- Try to be present when the insurance company's adjuster inspects your damage. Be sure your address is visible. If damage forces you to move, leave a note or a plywood sign with your temporary address, phone number and name of your insurance company.
- Resolving your claim. Your insurance company must acknowledge that it has begun an investigation within 15 days of receiving your claim. The company may request additional information to settle your claim. Once it has that information, the company must accept or reject your claim within 15 business days or tell you why it needs more time. If the Commissioner of Insurance designates the event as a major catastrophe, the claim handling deadlines are extended for an additional 15 days. Once a settlement is reached, the company has five business days to mail you a check. If you do not receive your payment promptly, call your agent.
- Work with reputable contractors. Ask contractors for references and verify them. Contact your Better Business Bureau, local police, or chamber of commerce for information. Insist on an itemized contract in writing and pay only as work is completed. The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act prohibits price gouging once the governor has declared an area a disaster area. Call the Office of the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hot Line, 1-800-337-3928, if you suspect price gouging or any other deceptive business practice.
For more information contact:
Last updated: 01/27/2012
