Home fire insurance coverage is a plan that will help you rebuild your home or replace your personal property if it catches fire. You might expect your general home insurance to cover you, but this isn't always the case. Here's what you should know about fire insurance.

Is Fire Insurance Included in Home Insurance?

Fire insurance may or may not be included in your home insurance policy. Home insurance provides general coverage but has a lot of exclusions. Some home insurance policies even have a specific list of claims that they cover and don't cover anything else. Whether you have coverage from home insurance can vary based on the type of fire.

A common type of fire where you need separate fire insurance is a wildfire. Wildfires are fires that start in a forest or brush and spread to neighboring homes. There are some areas that have a lot of wildfires, just like some areas have a lot of hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes. Because this is a unique type of disaster that can cause a lot of damage, home insurance usually excludes claims and expects you to carry separate fire insurance.

The only way to know for sure if you need separate home fire insurance is to carefully read all of your insurance policies or to talk to an insurance agent who is familiar with your policies.

Do You Need a Home Inspection to Get Fire Insurance?

Unlike other types of insurance, home fire insurance usually requires a home inspection. The inspector looks at things like whether your home is in good repair, whether it has highly flammable materials, and whether you have open space around your home that can help block fires from reaching your house. The risk factors the inspector discovers will be used to calculate your fire insurance premiums.

How Do You Make a Home Fire Insurance Claim?

When you make a fire insurance claim, you'll obviously need to prove that the damage was caused by a fire. You may also need to show what type of fire it was and how the fire started. For example, a policy that covers wildfires may not cover your dog knocking over a candle.

When there are major fires, a fire inspector will often do an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and make sure there was no arson. This is sometimes a required step that other types of insurance don't have.

To learn more about home fire insurance coverage, talk to a local home fire insurance plan provider today.