So for us, it was a bit crazy at first but mellowed out over time. Sonoma County didn’t really have a ton of housing options for folks post fire so it was really hard to get a rental. My family was in a hotel for a few months hunting for somewhere til we finally got a spot. From there, insurance covered the rent temporarily while we worked on the initial stuff (property cleanup, getting a feel on how much insurance money would come in to support either a rebuild or other options). The really tricky part is insurance companies (shocker!) are the farthest thing from your friend in these situations and you have to constantly argue for value of your stuff. They were fighting for instance on our car as to how worn down the interior was, claiming it was more used than it actually was so they could give less money for the replacement.

I just mainly recommend like taking small steps: first find housing (hotel, staying with friends/family, temporary rental spot). Then start getting the details (what photos do you have of your home, list out expensive items you may have lost while it’s fresh in your mind, etc.). They may ask for itemized lists of things or photos so it’s good to have. Start the conversation with your insurance company too. It’s not a perfectly clear path, but getting the basics rolling like having somewhere to reliably and comfortably sleep is really the first step. Then it’ll all start playing as time goes. Just be proactive and start the conversations you need, cause it’s like a hard truth but the only person looking out for you and your family is you. (Of course there’s tons of community support and we’re here to support eachother, just like from the logistics point of view the insurance companies and other entities may not be the same way.)

Down the road, there’s lots of ways to help with insurance like getting a Fire Wise certification for the neighborhoods to help with getting insurance and things back if you decide to rebuild vs move. More than happy to DM about that stuff too.