In the event of a loss, you can report your claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
1-800-67-CLAIM or 1-800-672-5246
In keeping with our desire to provide you with the best service possible, Auto Club Interinsurance Exchange claims specialists are currently working around the clock at several evacuation centers and Auto Club office locations to immediately meet members' needs.
If you have been evacuated, please proceed as safely as possible to the nearest shelter. If we have set up a claims team at that location, please visit our table so the claims specialists can start working with you. If the Auto Club does not have a presence at your shelter, call 1-800-672-5246 or visit nearby Auto Club district office and we will work with you to get you on the road to recovery.
Natural disasters don't wait for the most convenient times to occur. That's why the Auto Club is available to begin working on your claim at any time, day or night. Please call us if you need assistance. We want to assure you that the Auto Club will be doing everything possible to help you and your family through this difficult period.
California Wildfires Frequently Asked Questions
In an effort to provide some quick answers to homeowners affected by the recent California wildfires, we have prepared the following list of frequently asked questions. While this list is far from exhaustive, some of the most basic questions you may have are included below. If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-672-5246.
These questions and answers are designed to be instructive and helpful, however, for questions about an actual claim, please refer to your policy contract and declarations page or contact us for complete information about possible limitations or exclusions.
- Are you a member who has been displaced from their home and needs assistance?
- Are you an insured member who needs assistance filing a claim?
Question: Is there one place I can go to find out information on evacuation areas, shelters, animal safety, school closures and road closures?
Answer: Dial 2-1-1. 2-1-1 is a phone service dedicated to providing an easy-to-use, caring, professional source of guidance, advocacy, and 24 hours 7 days per week access to a comprehensive range of human services. 2-1-1 LA County has set up a website for Southern California during this wildfire crisis with comprehensive and up-to-date information on evacuation areas, shelters, animal safety, school closures, and road closures.
Question: How can I find real-time information on road closures?
Answer: For up to date information on road closures, call the California Department of Transportation at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623). You can also visit them online at www.dot.ca.gov and check a complete list of current road closures (//www.dot.ca.gov/fireclosures.php) or check conditions on a specific highway (//www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi).
Question: Where can I find the most recent information about emergency shelters?
Answer: If you are in need of emergency shelter, water, or food, please call 1-800-REDCROSS or find your local American Red Cross chapter online (//www.redcross.org/where/chapts.asp#CA).
For a list of American Red Cross shelters in your area, follow a link below:
- San Diego County
- Orange County
- Ventura County
- Riverside County
- Greater Los Angeles
Question: I'm having trouble finding a hotel with availability; what can I do?
Answer: With hundreds of thousands of Southern California residents displaced from their homes, we have received hundreds of calls from displaced members in need of help with accommodations. If you need help finding a hotel, call our reservations number at 1-877-222-1020. Our travel agents have access to the most up-to-date information on hotel availability and can assist you immediately.
Question: I want to let me family know I'm safe, but I'm having a hard time getting in touch with them. What can I do?
Answer: People affected by the wildfires are encouraged to register themselves on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website (//disastersafe.redcross.org/). People without access to a computer or without electricity or connectivity can call the Red Cross (1-800-REDCROSS) for help registering, or register a loved one on their behalf.
Question: I am concerned about the safety of friends and family members who have been evacuated. What can I do?
Answer: Family members and friends can log on to the Red Cross Safe and Well Website (//disastersafe.redcross.org/) and search for registered individuals to learn of their whereabouts and status.
Question: How can I help those whose lives have been devastated by the wildfires?
Answer: All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the California wildfires, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster.
Financial donations to the Red Cross are the best way to assist victims of disaster. Monetary contributions enable the Red Cross to purchase the most urgently needed items as close to the disaster site as possible. Purchasing near the disaster site ensures supplies get to victims as quickly as possible, without delays and hefty transportation costs. Because communities hit by disasters generally experience significant economic loss, buying goods locally also helps to stimulate the weakened economy by pumping money back into area businesses.
To make a donation:
- Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)
- Make at secure, online donation (//www.redcross.org)
- Contact your local Red Cross Chapter (//www.redcross.org/where/chapts.asp#CA)
Question: What do I need to do to file a claim?
Answer: To get the process started all you need to do is to call our Claims Department, see a claims adjuster at an evacuation center or visit a nearby Auto Club district office. You can also reach us by telephone by calling 1-800-67-CLAIM or 1-800-672-5246.
Question: What happens after I report my claim?
Answer: So we may get assistance to you quickly, you need to contact us as soon as possible. In some cases we can get help to you right away for your additional living expenses. After you contact us, our claims staff will help you through the process and explain what you may need to do. In some cases we will need to inspect the damage to your property and get statements from you. This process helps us make sure we are providing all of the coverage available to you.
Question: If I have to leave my home due to the fires, even if it is not ultimately damaged, are my hotel expenses covered?
Answer: Our Homeowners, Condominium Owners, and Renters policies all provide coverage for additional living expense when a civil authority has ordered you out of your home. This coverage provides for not just hotel expenses, but any reasonable and necessary costs that you actually incur including food and clothing that you may need to purchase. This coverage is provided for up to a two-week period during the time the authorities do not allow you to return to your home.
Question: What happens if the cost to replace my home is greater than the amount of insurance coverage that I've purchased?
Answer: For many people this can be a huge concern. That is why it is important to maintain adequate levels of insurance. Many companies have limits or caps in their policy. If this is the case, if it costs more to replace the house than the amount of insurance you had on the policy then you will be responsible for the difference.
Fortunately, many of the homes insured with us, and built after 1950, qualify for and have Guaranteed Replacement Cost Coverage. To determine if your policy contains this coverage, you can check your declarations page or call 1-800-67-CLAIMS.
If you have Guaranteed Replacement Cost coverage and have met the requirements for maintaining this coverage, then any loss that exceeds the limit stated in your declarations for your dwelling (Coverage A) will be settled for the actual cost to repair or rebuild the dwelling, without regard for the limit stated in the declarations. This means you will not have to pay the difference if you happen to be underinsured.
Question: If the power has been out due to the fires and the food in my refrigerator spoils, do I have coverage?
Answer: Yes. Your policy provides up to $500 in coverage for damage or spoilage of perishable foods that are kept in your refrigerator or freezer in your home.
Question: If the fire destroys the trees, shrubs, plants, or lawn on my home's property, is there any coverage?
Answer: Yes. Your policy provides additional insurance for plant materials. It is limited to 5% of your Coverage A (Dwelling) with a limit of not more than $500 for any one tree, shrub or plant. So if your home is insured for $150,000, you can get up to $7,500 coverage for all of your trees, shrubs, plants, or lawn.
Question: Do I have coverage for smoke damage?
Answer: Your policy does cover your property that has actually been damaged by soot or smoke residue. Just a smoky smell in the home is not enough, but if soot or smoke residue adheres to your property you might have coverage.
Question: Fortunately my house was saved from the fire; however, it was damaged by a water drop from fire fighting equipment. Is this damage covered? What about sticky fire retardant foam?
Answer: Yes, any damage done to your house is covered for these types of losses.
Question: If my house has been damaged or destroyed by fire and the local building codes have changed since my house was built, will these additional costs be covered?
Answer: Yes. Your policy provides some additional limits to make improvement to comply with changes in building codes. There are conditions that apply, so you'll have to review your policy or consult with one of our claims representatives for exact details.
Question: I don?t have my policy number. I left it at home. Is that going to be a problem?
Answer: Don?t worry about providing your policy number. All we need to get started is the address of the insured property and your phone number.
Question: Can I file my claim online?
Answer: Yes, you can start the claim process online. Please click on the link below to send us an email. In order to help us get started, please include your home address, two phone numbers where we can reach you immediately, and a brief description of what has happened (fire damage, smoke damage, water damage, wind damage, evacuation expenses, etc.).
Question: Where can I go to speak to claims specialist in person?
Answer: Auto Club Interinsurance Exchange claims specialists are currently working around the clock at several evacuation centers and Auto Club offices to immediately meet your needs:
- Del Mar Fairgrounds
- 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd
- Del Mar, CA 92014
- Located off the 5 freeway at Via de la Valle and Jimmy Durante Blvd
- Our claims specialists are stationed inside stadium Gate A and in parking lot C1
- Driving directions
- El Modena High School
- 3920 Spring Street
- Orange, CA 92869
- Located on Spring between North Hewes and Prospect
- Driving directions
- El Toro High School
- 25255 Toledo Way
- Lake Forest, CA 92630
- Located off of El Toro Road on Toledo Way between Jeronimo and Trabuco
- Driving directions
- Escondido Auto Club Office
- 800 La Terraza Blvd
- Escondido, CA 92025
- 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM through Friday, October 26
- Driving directions
- Mission Hills High School
- 1 East Mission Hills Court
- San Marcos, CA 92069
- Located off of East Mission Road on East Mission Hills Court between Woodland Parkway and North Twin Oaks Valley Road
- Driving directions
- Orange Show Fairgrounds
- 689 S E Street
- San Bernardino, CA 92408
- Located off the 215 freeway at Inland Center Drive and E Street
- 8:30 AM -7:00 PM through Friday
- Driving directions
- Qualcomm Stadium
- 9449 Friars Road
- San Diego, CA 92108
- Located off the 15 freeway at Friars Road and Mission Village Drive
- Driving directions
- Valencia Auto Club Claims Office
- 27421 Tourney Road
- Valencia, CA 91355
- 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM through Friday, October 26
- Driving directions
Insurance provided to qualified Auto Club members by the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club or by independent insurance carriers whose benefits, features and discounts may vary. CA Dept. of Insurance Lic. #0003259.