Fire insurance is a form of general or non-life insurance that covers and compensates for losses and damages to property incurred by fires. Depending on the terms and conditions and the policy value limits of the fire insurance policy you have taken, a fire insurance policy will generally provide fire insurance coverage against incidents of:
- Loss of goods due to accidental fire or fire explosions
- Damage caused by lightning
- Fire incident triggered by electricity
- Overflow of a water tank
However, it does not cover situations like:
- If there is no occupancy in the insured property more than a month
- Damage caused due to natural heating, spontaneous combustion, or fermentation.
- Damage caused because of the building undergoing any heating or drying process
Also, certain perils are not covered under the plan. These include:
- A fire caused by war, nuclear risks, riot, or earthquake
- An event of underground fire
- Loss caused due to theft during or after the fire incident
- Loss caused by any terrorist activity
Depending on the type of goods or property to be insured, value and structure of the property, cause of loss, and business operations, you must carefully go through the different types of fire insurance policies available in the market and choose the one that best fits your requirements.
Fire Insurance Claim Procedure
If there is a fire incident on your insured property, follow these steps to ensure a quick settlement of your insurance claim:
- Inform the insurance company about the fire incident on the insured property as early as possible: You may do so by reaching out to them on their toll-free number or writing to them to inform them about the mishap.
- Contact the fire brigade and the police to control the situation and minimize loss or damage.
- Provide relevant information to the surveyor/ claim representative appointed by the insurer: Once the insurance company surveyor visits the incident site, you must provide them with details like the cause, the damage, etc.
- The surveyor then analyses the extent/ value of the loss or damage to the property. The final claim estimation will be done based on the survey report submitted by the surveyor to the insurance company.
- Submit the duly filled in claim form and other proofs and photographs required for the process.
- The claim process might take anywhere between one to three weeks to estimate the coverage amount to be provided for a settlement.
Documents required for claiming a Fire Insurance Policy
To claim the fire insurance policy, you will need to produce to the insurance company the documents mentioned below:
- An authorized copy of your insurance policy
- Duly-filled insurance claim form
- Photographs of the site
- Forensic reports
- Reports of the fire brigade (if necessary)
- Investigation report
