The Canadian wildfires are currently severely impacting air quality across much of the United States, and the resulting smoky smoke is not just a health concern. Even if you are hundreds of miles away from the blaze, smoke, ash, and soot can affect your home’s air quality, HVAC system, and vehicle.
If you’re dealing with damage from long-term smoke exposure, it’s important to understand what your homeowners insurance, home warranty, auto insurance, and vehicle warranty will and won’t cover.
So, while insurance can help pay for certain smoke-related losses, warranties typically only cover breakdowns due to normal wear and tear and not natural disasters like wildfires.
Here’s what’s typically covered, and what experts recommend you do now to prevent further damage or claim disputes.
What Homeowners Insurance Covers After Exposure to Wildfire Smoke
If wildfire smoke damages your property, homeowners insurance is usually your first resort. Although terms vary, most standard policies cover damage from wildfires, including damage from smoke and ash.
Homeowners insurance typically covers:
- Damage to the structure of your home from smoke and soot
- Large-scale soot and ash removal
- Professional smoke deodorization and restoration
- Damage to personal property due to wildfire
- Additional living expenses if your home becomes temporarily uninhabitable due to damage
Homeowners insurance typically do not have cover:
- Regular maintenance such as HVAC filter replacement
- Slight smell of smoke (coverage varies by insurance company)
- Damage caused by carelessness or normal wear and tear
That being said, be sure to check your insurance policy to see what is actually covered. “Policyholders should check to see if their insurance company requires a mandatory evacuation order or actual property damage to trigger its coverage,” says Julia Taliesin, economic analyst and licensed insurance agent with Insurify.
She also advises homeowners to check what constitutes smoke damage based on their plans. “Insurance companies may require that the smoke has caused certain damage, such as staining, contamination, residue, odor, or alteration that requires professional attention,” she says.
Why home warranties usually don’t cover smoke damage
A home warranty helps cover the cost of repairing or replacing home systems that fail due to normal wear and tear. This means that losses from wildfires and other natural disasters are generally not covered.
However, your home warranty may still cover future HVAC repairs within the terms of your contract. It’s important to have your system inspected after heavy smoke exposure, as your home warranty company may deny your claim if you don’t perform basic maintenance.
If your HVAC is exposed to wildfire smoke, replace your air filters immediately, have your system professionally serviced, and watch for odors or decreased performance. Documenting maintenance can help prevent future repair claims from being denied. Some home warranty plans also cover the cost of HVAC tune-ups and other maintenance.
What auto insurance covers after being exposed to wildfire smoke
Basic liability and collision vehicle insurance do not cover fire, smoke, or ash damage to your car. However, if you have comprehensive car insurance, these events are often covered.
Comprehensive insurance typically includes the following:
- Soot, ash, smoke damage or contamination that damages the vehicle
- Replacing melted parts and broken glass
- Professionally clean or restore your car’s interior.
- Repairing upholstery and carpeting damaged by smoke exposure
Car insurance typically does not cover the following:
- Replacing the cabin or engine air filter after a wildfire
- Other routine maintenance or preventive work
- Corrosion or mechanical failure unrelated to smoke or fire damage
Always check your individual car insurance policy to see what is covered.
Why car warranties usually don’t cover smoke damage
Car warranties typically don’t cover physical damage from natural disasters like wildfires. Instead, these plans primarily cover problems caused by manufacturer defects, defective parts, or mechanical failure.
“Warranties do not cover environmental damage, so if your fuel injectors become clogged with ash, it’s not a defect, it’s external contamination, and the warranty won’t cover it,” says Luke Oswald, automotive specialist at Wheels Away.
Other tasks, such as replacing air filters and removing residual odors after exposure to smoke, are considered routine maintenance, but are also typically not covered.
Maintenance you should perform now to prevent further damage
There are steps you can take now to ensure your home and car are protected from the worst effects of smoke, soot, and ash.
Additionally, completing and documenting basic precautions and routine maintenance can help prevent claim denials when filing an insurance or warranty claim.
For homeowners
- Record any damage. Before cleaning, take photos of any visible ash, soot, or smoke residue. This helps support insurance claims.
- Run a HEPA air filter. This reduces airborne particles in your home that can cause health problems.
- Replace HVAC and air purifier filters And check back regularly. “If it looks dirty right away, replace it again,” says Michael Rubino, mold and air quality expert and founder of HomeCleanse. We also recommend upgrading to the highest rated MERV filter your HVAC can handle.
- Do not let outside air in. Close windows and doors as much as possible, recirculate air conditioners, and close outside air intakes as needed.
- Wash off the ash and soot. Once damage has been documented and it is safe to do so, remove ash and soot from indoor surfaces, vents, outdoor units, roofs, and gutters. This prevents dirt and residual odors and improves indoor air quality. And remember. “If you use a garden hose or power washer, make sure your airways are protected, such as with an N-95 mask,” says Andy Bozzo, current battalion chief with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and co-founder of Tablet Command.
- Clean the whole house. “Smoke contamination doesn’t go away even when the odor fades; it can linger on carpets, bedding, curtains, HVAC systems, dust traps, porous materials, and more,” Rubino says. He recommends using cleaning products specifically designed for contaminants such as smoke. Avoid using aerosol sprays or strong chemical cleaners.
For car owners
- Park in a garage or covered area. This helps limit continued exposure to pollutants that are difficult to eliminate. Do not park under damaged trees or anything that could catch on fire.
- block outside air Keep windows closed, use recirculation mode on your air conditioner, and check window and door seals.
- Check cabin and engine air filters Replace as necessary. “If you see that[the cabin air filter]is dark and clogged, you definitely have ash in the system,” Oswald says.
- Be careful of damage. A musty smell in your car or a weak air conditioner flow could be signs that you have ash in your system. Open the hood and check for residue as well.
How to prepare your home before the next wildfire season
This does not mean that the risk of wildfires has disappeared. There are some simple upgrades you can make to make your home more resilient before the next wildfire season.
- Complete routine HVAC inspections and replace filters. HVAC traps smoke particles and ash. Be sure to perform regular maintenance, as a dirty or clogged system or filter can reduce the efficiency of the system and reduce its ability to filter contaminants.
- Seal air leaks around windows. Use weatherstripping or caulking around windows to reduce smoke infiltration. Installing double-glazed windows can also help prevent contaminants from entering.
- Consider a whole-house or portable HEPA air filter. Air filtration systems protect indoor air quality and help improve the efficiency of your HVAC system.
- Install indoor air quality monitors. Smoke particles are often invisible, so using an indoor air quality monitor can give you a better idea of how well your air filters and other mitigation measures are working.
