Evacuees – Protect Your Home By Documenting Possessions And Expenses – State Insurance Commissioner
Over 150 families have evacuated their homes so far due to the Lolo Peak Fire, and State Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale has advice on how to protect your property, document, document, document.
"You have three things that you must focus on, document, document and document," Rosendale said. "You've got the period before the fire, you've got the period during the event and you've got the period after the fire."
"Before the event," said Rosendale, "it's absolutely critical that Montanans that are at risk of wildfires get a free checklist, which is available at our website, to take inventory of possessions that could be lost or damaged during the fire. If you have paper inventories, they should be stored in a fire-proof box, and then backed up in the cloud. If If you are subject to a mandatory civil evacuation, many homeowners policies provide extra funds for living expenses, so make sure you save all your receipts.Then, after the fire, take photos of all the damage before it is cleaned up."
Rosendale encourages anyone with questions, or who is having problems with their homeowners insurance coverage, to contact his office at 406-444-2040, or visit the State Insurance Commissioner's website.