Wildfire
Wildfires can start from a single ember and spread fast in hot, dry, windy conditions — and embers can travel a mile or more ahead of the flames. The work you do before fire season is what protects your home. Here's how to lower your risk, ready your household, and stay safe through smoke and evacuation.
Watch the fire weather
Find out whether your home is in a higher-risk area through your local planning or fire department, and sign up for your community's emergency alerts. When the weather turns dangerous, you'll see these warnings.
Fire Weather Watch
Conditions could develop in the next day or two that lead to extreme fire behavior. Be alert and get ready.
Red Flag Warning
Heat, very low humidity, and strong winds mean critical fire conditions are happening or imminent. Avoid anything that could spark a fire.
Build your kit and go-bag
Wildfires move fast and can force a sudden evacuation. Keep a grab-and-go bag packed and somewhere easy to reach.
Water & food
One gallon per person per day for several days, plus non-perishable food and a can opener.
Medications & first aid
A supply of prescriptions plus a stocked first aid kit.
N95 masks
N95 or KN95 masks for everyone — cloth and surgical masks don't filter wildfire smoke.
Light & power
Flashlights, extra batteries, backup phone chargers, and a NOAA weather radio.
Documents
Copies of IDs and insurance in a waterproof bag, with digital backups in the Member Portal.
Family & pets
Supplies for children, seniors, and pets, plus a paper list of emergency contacts.
Harden your home against embers
Most homes lost to wildfire are ignited by wind-blown embers, not a wall of flame. Small fixes keep embers from finding a way in.
- Keep your roof in good repair and clear of leaves and needles.
- Screen vents with 1/8-inch non-combustible metal mesh to block embers.
- Box in or screen the open areas under decks and porches.
- Clean leaves and debris from gutters, eaves, and roof valleys.
- Inspect and repair siding, and seal gaps where embers could enter.
- Consider dual-pane or tempered-glass windows in higher-risk areas.
- Move firewood, propane tanks, and flammables well away from the house.
- Keep a garden hose long enough to reach all the way around your home.
Create defensible space
Defensible space is the buffer you create around your home that slows a fire and gives it less to burn. Work outward from the house in zones — the intensity of clearing eases as you move away.
The most important zone
- Use gravel, pavers, or concrete instead of combustible mulch.
- Clear leaves and debris from the roof, gutters, and decks.
- Move firewood and anything flammable away from the house.
- Keep branches at least 10 feet from chimneys and stovepipes.
Break up the fuel
- Mow grass low and space out shrubs and trees.
- Remove ladder fuels — limbs and brush that let flames climb.
- Add fuel breaks like stone paths, gravel, or your driveway.
Slow the approach
- Remove dead plants and fallen debris.
- Space trees and shrubs so fire can't jump between them.
- Break up continuous vegetation out to your property line.
Plan your escape before you need it
- Map at least two ways out of your neighborhood, and pick a meeting place.
- Make a communication plan and choose an out-of-area contact.
- Plan ahead for how you'll move pets and livestock.
- Sign up for your community's emergency alerts and warning system.
- Keep your go-bag and key documents ready to grab (with backups in the Member Portal).
- Confirm your contact info is current so we can reach you.
Ready, Set, Go
When fire risk is high, get Ready by preparing your home and kit, get Set by staying alert and loading your vehicle, and Go early. Don't wait for flames — or even for an order — if you feel unsafe. Leaving early keeps roads clear for your neighbors and for firefighters.
If wildfire is near
- Leave as early as you can — your safety matters far more than your property.
- If time allows, close all windows, doors, and vents (leave doors unlocked).
- Shut off gas at the meter and turn off pilot lights.
- Move flammable furniture to the center of rooms, away from windows.
- Turn on inside and outside lights so your home is visible through smoke.
- Back your loaded vehicle into the driveway, windows up, and keep your go-bag inside.
Don't wait to leave
If you feel threatened, evacuate immediately. The steps above are only for when you have clear time and it's safe to take them.
Protect your lungs from smoke
- Check your local air quality at AirNow.gov and follow the guidance.
- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed when smoke is heavy.
- Run your AC on recirculate, and use a HEPA air purifier if you have one.
- Set up a "clean room" with filtered air to retreat to.
- Wear an N95 or KN95 outdoors — cloth and surgical masks don't filter smoke.
- Take extra care with children, older adults, and anyone with heart or lung conditions.
Returning safely
- Don't return home until officials say it's safe.
- Watch for hot spots and embers that can reignite — including in attics and crawl spaces.
- Wear an N95 mask, gloves, and long sleeves around ash and debris.
- Treat every downed power line as live; stay back and report it.
- Avoid damaged or weakened structures and trees.
- Document all damage with photos or video before cleanup, and keep receipts.
Document your home now
A home inventory makes recovery far easier. Take photos or a video walkthrough of each room and your valuables, note model and serial numbers, and keep digital copies in your Member Portal. Review your coverage now, so you know what's protected before fire season arrives.
Filing a claim
Your safety always comes first. Once it's safe to be on the property, document all damage with photos or video before cleanup, take reasonable steps to prevent further loss, and keep receipts for any emergency expenses.
Have your policy information available when reporting a claim whenever possible. Our claims team is available 24/7.
Quick questions
What's the difference between a Fire Weather Watch and a Red Flag Warning?
A Fire Weather Watch means conditions could lead to extreme fire behavior in the next day or two. A Red Flag Warning means those critical conditions — heat, low humidity, and strong winds — are happening now or are imminent. Avoid anything that could spark a fire.
How much space should I clear around my home?
Work outward in zones: keep the first five feet noncombustible, thin and space vegetation from 5 to 30 feet, and reduce fuels out to 100 feet or your property line.
Should I wait for an evacuation order?
If you feel unsafe, don't wait — leave early. Leaving ahead of an order keeps roads clear for others and for firefighters.
How should I document my belongings?
Take photos or a video walkthrough of each room and your valuables, and store digital copies in your Member Portal so they're easy to reach if you ever need them.
TRUE Property Insurance is here to help you prepare, stay safe, and recover — before, during, and after a wildfire. We're here to help.
General preparedness guidance adapted from Ready.gov, FEMA, the U.S. Forest Service, NFPA Firewise USA, NOAA/National Weather Service, and the American Red Cross. For your specific coverage, review your policy or contact TRUE.