U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Post-Wildfire Exception

New flood insurance policies have a 30-day waiting period; however, coverage can start sooner if flooding is caused by post-wildfire conditions. This is because of a special rule from the Biggert-Waters Act of 2012, known as the Post-Wildfire Exception.

House in front of hill struck by large wildfire
On this page:

Post-Wildfire Exception eligibility

Under the Post-Wildfire Exception, the 30-day waiting period may not apply to new policies (or added coverage) when the following conditions are met:

  • The insured property is privately owned (i.e., property not owned by a federal, state, local, territorial or tribal government);

  • Flooding is caused or worsened by a wildfire on federal land; and

  • The policyholder purchased the new, additional or increased coverage either on or before the fire was contained, or within 60 days of containment. 

Guidance following a wildfire

Insurer responsibility

Coverage begins at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on the first calendar day after the application (endorsement request) date and payment of the premium.

Determining containment date

For the Post-Wildfire Exception, the federal agency in charge of the land where the wildfire happened sets the fire containment date. Find containment dates on InciWeb the Incident Information System.

Adjuster responsibility

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) authorized adjusters can make a recommendation to the insurer after they have investigated and checked if a flood was caused or worsened by post-wildfire conditions on federal land. They also confirm the date of loss, which is necessary to determine if the Post-Wildfire Exception applies.

Assistance with proper application

FEMA supports the application of the Post-Wildfire Exception by tracking when wildfires are contained on federal lands to determine if post-wildfire conditions led to flooding on private property. Insurers can contact FEMA for assistance at FEMA-FIDClaimsMailbox@fema.dhs.gov.

Success story

Following the Thomas Fire, Montecito and Ventura residents share how flood insurance was vital to their recovery.

Get up-to-date information on active wildfires on federal land

Check it out