Wildfire

As the largest general insurer in New Zealand, we’ve seen our fair share of natural hazards. We’ve got the expertise and experience to get you back on your feet.

Stay safe and informed

If there is a wildfire in your area, leaving early is the best option. Remember, your lives are more important than your property, so don't worry about your claim - it can wait. If there’s an alert in your area, stay safe, informed, and follow advice from Civil Defence and local authorities.

For more safety tips, and ways to protect your home from future wildfires head to Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Protecting your property. 

Making a claim

Once safe, give us a call to start your claim, or lodge it online and we will contact you with next steps. It’s likely we’ll see a high volume of calls which may mean longer than normal wait times. If you have a broker, speak to them first and they’ll help you get started.

Make a claim

Claim prioritisation and urgent support

We prioritise customers with unliveable homes or those in vulnerable situations. If you need urgent help or additional support, let us know when lodging your claim so we can make sure you are correctly prioritised.  

Things you should do once it’s safe

Whether you’ve made your claim or not, there are some things you can begin to do to make your home safe if you’re able to. 

  1. Safety first: If you’ve been evacuated, it’s important you do not return to your property unless a local authority (such as Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the New Zealand Civil Defence, or the New Zealand Government) has confirmed it’s safe.  
     
  2. Snap the damage: Check your property for damage. Photos are important if you need to make a claim, so take them as you go.
     
  3. Removing fire retardant: Once you’re allowed to return home, rinse off any fire retardant with a garden hose as soon as possible and avoid scrubbing as it may cause scratching.  Please ensure you keep your personal safety in mind and refrain from climbing onto roofs to do so. Use the appropriate care when using ladders too.
     
  4. Spoiled food: You should throw away food that any power outages have spoiled – just take photos, note them down, then clean your fridge or freezer to prevent any further damage.
     
  5. Removing damaged items: Fires can cause smoke, soot, ash or water damage (from fire hoses) to your property and belongings, which can be cleaned, restored and/or sanitised in most cases. So, until we’ve had a chance to assess your claim, only throw away spoiled food and ensure you take photos and notes before doing so.

    Moving items outside into ventilated areas can help mitigate the smoke smell and/or dry them out if they’re wet. Remember to keep them under cover or put them in your garage with plenty of ventilation to prevent further damage.
     
  6. Temporary repairs: You can do temporary 'make safe' repairs to make your home safe and weathertight, such as boarding up broken windows. Just try to take photos before you do so. Where possible, contact us before you engage a tradesperson or make any non-urgent repairs.

More information about wildfire claims

This information is a useful guide but is not intended to replace your policy wording. Remember to double-check your policy documents and talk to us if you’re ever uncertain.

Find additional FAQs about claims.

Home

  • Once local authorities have confirmed it’s safe to re-enter the area, we’ll appoint an assessor to review your claim. They’ll assess the damage either in person or remotely and agree with you on the scope and cost to repair your home ‐ sometimes called a ‘Scope of Works’.
     
  • Depending on your property and damage, we might need to bring in specialists like engineers, repairers, specialist cleaners, and builders, which can make your assessment take a little longer.
     
  • Once the Scope of Works is complete, a member of our claims team will be in touch to discuss your settlement options with you. In most cases, we’ll settle claims as a lump sum cash payment so you can get started on your repairs or rebuild.
     
  • For repairs, the repairer will get in touch with you directly to discuss start dates. They’ll make sure it’s at a time that works for you and consider availability of any materials needed for your repair.

  • If a local authority (such as a government agency, Police, Fire and Emergency, or Civil Defence) has asked you to evacuate, and your policy covers you for temporary accommodation, you can go ahead and arrange a place to stay. In these situations, cover will apply regardless of whether your home is damaged or not – you'll just need to pay your excess.
     
  • It’s up to you to arrange your temporary accommodation. Just let us know your choice so we can ensure it meets the terms specified in your policy wording. It’s important to note any temporary accommodation agreement made is held between you and the accommodation provider. In most cases your policy will outline that the accommodation must be of ‘reasonable’ value, so it’s good to check reasonable market rents in your area.
     
  • If your home or belongings are damaged after you’ve been evacuated, you won’t need to pay another excess.

Contents

Where able, you can complete a ‘loss schedule’, listing all your fire-damaged items. It helps to include the item’s age, manufacturers’ names, model numbers, purchase dates and purchase prices where you can. If items are smoke-damaged, and can be cleaned, you don’t need to add these to your Loss Schedule. Not every situation requires a loss schedule – if you’ve experienced widespread damage, we’ll discuss alternatives with you.

We'll be in touch with the next steps, but if you have any questions about your claim or your loss schedule, please get in touch.

Vehicle

  • If your vehicle has minimal fire damage and can still be driven, we’ll refer you to our Motor Assessor or to a local repairer, who’ll review your claim, assess the damage, and complete the repairs, if able to do so.
     
  • If your vehicle has significant damage and cannot be driven, we will arrange for your vehicle to be towed to a local repairer, who will review your claim, assess the damage, and complete the repairs if able to do so.
     
  • If your vehicle is unable to, or unlikely to be repaired we will contact you to discuss the next steps.

  • Remember to remove any personal items from the vehicle before it’s towed, if it is safe to do so.
     
  • Make sure your vehicle is locked securely with no keys left inside ‐ our tow team will get in touch to pick them up instead.
     
  • If your personal items were damaged inside your vehicle, feel free to throw away any soft items or spoiled food, but remember to photograph and catalogue them on your loss schedule first.
     
  • If you have contents insurance, we’ll discuss with you whether you’re covered for any items that were damaged while inside your vehicle.

Helpful links

Loss Schedule

Reducing the risk of a wildfire

Restoring your property

Other events