After the fire
Insurance following a forest fire: making a claim, providing evidence, receiving compensation
The fire cover under your home insurance policy covers damage caused by a forest fire — flames, heat, smoke, and even the emergency services’ response. However, you must make a claim in good time, provide comprehensive documentation and know how to deal with the loss adjuster. A comprehensive guide.
Key points
- Deadline: 5 working days from the date on which the claim is brought to the insurer’s attention (Article L113-2 of the Insurance Code).
- Report via the customer portal, email AND registered post (for traceability): contract number, date, description, initial photographs.
- Do not throw anything away or carry out any permanent repairs before the surveyor has visited; interim measures are refundable upon presentation of an invoice.
- Request a deposit and assistance with rehousing from the moment the claim is made if the house is uninhabitable.
- Disagree? Get a second opinion (often covered by your policy), insurance mediation, then legal action — in that order.
What the fire insurance policy (actually) covers
- The building the policyholder and any declared outbuildings (garage, shed — please check the declared floor areas).
- Contents (furniture, household appliances, personal effects) up to the sum insured — with, depending on the policy, depreciation deducted or replacement value applied.
- ‘Incidental’ damages Often overlooked: smoke and soot damage, damage caused by water and fire service foam, clearance costs, loss of use (temporary accommodation), and surveyors’ fees as per the contract.
- The garden : fences, gates and low walls – generally included ; trees and planting as per the contract (often subject to a cap) — please refer to the ‘outdoor improvements’ section.
- Vehicles : under the motor insurance policy (fire cover or comprehensive cover), not the home insurance policy. A vehicle insured under ‘third-party, fire and theft’ cover without fire cover is not covered.
To declare in the proper manner
Within 5 working days
Via the customer portal OR by telephone, along with a summary email (and by registered post for major claims): policy number, date and cause (forest fire on [date]), nature of the damage, contact details, initial photographs. The time limit begins as soon as you become aware of the claim — not once the fire has been extinguished.
Enquire now
1) a claim number ; 2) the relocation support if necessary (’loss of use’ cover / assistance); 3) a advance payment against compensation if the damage is extensive ; 4) the timeframe for the surveyor’s visit.
Put together the case file
Dated photos/videos, a room-by-room inventory (item, date of purchase, estimated value), invoices, receipts, bank statements, family photos showing the items, and email inboxes (order confirmations). For valuable items: valuations, certificates.
Keep everything, repair as little as possible
Precautionary measures only (covering with tarpaulins, temporary closure) — provided you have supporting invoices, you will be reimbursed. Everything else must await the surveyor’s assessment or written approval.
The assessment: prepare for it as you would for an important meeting
- Please attend (or send a representative), bringing a printed file containing: an inventory, invoices, and ‘before’ photos if you have any (holiday photos in the living room are worth their weight in gold).
- Make sure EVERYTHING is recorded: soot in cupboards, heat-induced micro-cracks, warped joinery, a clogged-up ventilation system, the cistern, fences, trees — any damage that goes unnoticed will not be compensated.
- Ask for a copy of the report, and do not accept a ‘rough estimate’ that you feel is too low: you have the right to provide further details within a fortnight, including quotes from tradespeople.
- Don’t agree? 1) a second opinion from an expert appointed by the insured (often partially covered by the ‘expert’s fees’ cover); 2) an independent expert’s report for the purposes of arbitration; 3) insurance ombudsman (free, mediation-assurance.org) ; 4) the courts as a last resort. Victims’ associations set up following major fires often secure better collective terms.
Compensation: age of the property, replacement value, excesses
| Concept | What this means for you |
|---|---|
| Value in use (after deducting depreciation) | Compensation = replacement value − depreciation (e.g. −10% per year for household appliances). This forms the basis of most policies. |
| Replacement value / replacement with new equipment | The depreciation allowance (often capped at 25%) is reimbursed to you IN ADDITION, upon presentation of the invoices for reconstruction or replacement within the contractual time limit (often 2 years). Don’t forget: this is the second instalment that many people never claim. |
| Franchise | The contractual amount you are required to pay (there is no statutory CatNat excess here, as the scheme does not apply). |
| Specific ceilings | Valuables, outdoor fixtures and fittings, outbuildings: sub-limits apply — please review your specific terms and conditions before the valuation to ensure the discussion is on the right track. |
Tenant? Your insurance covers your belongings and your liability; the building is the owner’s responsibility. Notify both insurers. Co-ownership? Communal areas = building insurance (property manager); private areas and contents = your own. Underinsurance: If your declared assets are too low, the proportional rule will reduce your compensation — take advantage of the reconstruction to reassess them.
The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.
Check the fire alert status for your department, keep track of current fires and report a fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.