In wildfire season, Department of Insurance offers home insurance advice

As wildfires burn across Idaho during a high-heat summer, the Idaho Department of Insurance is offering advice on how to get ready.

In preparation for a wildfire, people should secure insurance papers or store them online, ensure their policy accurately covers their property value and make sure their insurance agent and company have their latest contact information, the agency said in a news release last week.

People should scan important documents with their smartphones, and create a home inventory focusing on valuable and important belongings, the Idaho Department of Insurance recommends.

People should also consider comprehensive auto insurance that could protect their vehicles in wildfires. Renters should consider buying renters insurance to protect personal belongings — which landlord homeowners policies typically don't cover.

"Idahoans who are having issues with their carrier can contact the DOI Consumer Services team," Idaho Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron said in the news release. "We can answer questions and help consumers resolve disputes with insurance companies and insurance agents. We are here to help our fellow Idahoans."

People who need to evacuate their homes should follow local authorities' evacuation orders. For people who must evacuate due to wildfires, insurance could cover additional food and rental costs, the insurance department said.