Spokane Fires: 10 Urgent Things To Know Before You Go Home, MOVE Or Call Insurance
I live in Spokane, and while I was not directly impacted, my heart is broken for everyone who was.
People have lost homes, belongings, family memories, routines, safety, and the peace of knowing where they will sleep tonight. No one should have to stand in the middle of that kind of loss and figure everything out alone.
I created this guide because I wanted to do something that could truly help. I collected the most important lessons from fire survivors who have already been through this devastation: what matters in the first few days, what mistakes to avoid, what to say to insurance, and how to begin getting your life back in order.
If you are overwhelmed right now, take a deep breath. Start here.
Before anything else, check official local updates;
Use Spokane County Emergency Management, Alert Spokane, and the Spokane County evacuation map before returning home or traveling near affected areas.
Quick Spokane Fires Checklist
Take a deep breath. Center yourself for a moment. Then start here:
- Get away from the smoke as fast as you can! Run Forest Run. . .
- Wear at least an N95 mask. Use a P100 respirator if you are near burned homes, vehicles, ash, or debris.
- Find a stable place to stay for the next two weeks.
- Do not assume your home is safe just because it looks normal.
- Do not clean ash or smoke residue yourself before professional testing.
- Open your insurance claim quickly, but keep the first call brief.
- Save every receipt: hotel, fuel, food, toiletries, clothing, medication, pet supplies, masks, filters, and emergency items.
- Take photos and videos before moving or throwing things away, but only if it is safe.
- Do not rush to hire cleanup crews, contractors, public adjusters, or claim consultants.
- Use free recovery resources before making expensive decisions.
The order matters.
Safety first. Breathing second. Shelter third. Documentation fourth. Big decisions later.
1. Protect Your Lungs: Two Essential Things To Do First
The first thing to protect is your breathing. Wildfire smoke is not the same as sitting near a campfire. When homes, vehicles, garages, sheds, insulation, plastics, batteries, treated wood, roofing, paint, furniture, and household chemicals burn, the smoke and ash can carry dangerous particles.
Those particles can get into your lungs. They can settle on clothing, furniture, vents, carpets, windowsills, toys, and bedding. They can stay long after the sky looks clearer.
If you can smell smoke, treat it as exposure.
If you can leave the smoke zone, leave. If you cannot leave right away, reduce exposure as much as possible:
– Stay indoors with windows and doors closed if indoor air is safer than outdoor air.
– Avoid sweeping, blowing, or disturbing ash.
– Keep children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or immune concerns away from smoke and ash.
– Check local air-quality updates before going outside.
– Wear proper protection if you must go near smoke, ash, or damaged structures.
An N95 mask is better than nothing when it fits properly. A P100 respirator gives stronger protection, especially around heavy smoke, ash, or burned structures.
You have nothing without your health! Protect your lungs first.
2. Going Home Too Soon Can Be Dangerous
I know it is hard. Every part of you may want to go home and see what is left. But please try to fight that urge until officials say it is safe.
You want to see what is left. You want to know if the pets are safe, if the documents survived, if the photos are still there, if there is anything you can save.
That emotion is real. When your whole life has been shaken, home is the first place your heart wants to go.
But going home too soon can be dangerous.
Smoke, ash, damaged utilities, unstable structures, hot spots, poor air quality, and hidden contamination can create risks you may not see from the street. A house can still be standing and still not be safe to enter.
Before you return:
– Follow official evacuation instructions.
– Check local fire and emergency updates.
– Do not cross closure lines.
– Wear respiratory protection if officials allow return and smoke or ash is present.
– Do not bring children, older adults, or pets into smoky or ash-covered areas.
– Do not assume the air inside is safe just because the house is standing.
If your home was near the fire path, had windows open, smells smoky, or has visible ash, ask about professional testing before cleanup or re-entry.
3. If you can, try to find somewhere stable to stay for the next two weeks.
After a fire, shelter becomes urgent fast.
Hotels fill. Rentals disappear. Family and friends may be helping several people at once. What feels like a one-night problem can quickly become a two-week problem.
If your home was affected by the Spokane fires, try to secure a stable place to stay for at least two weeks.
That gives you time to breathe.
It gives you space to:
- Contact your insurance company
- Gather documents
- Track expenses
- Arrange testing
- Care for children, pets, or older family members
- Figure out whether your home is safe
- Make decisions after the first wave of shock has passed
Possible options include hotels, motels, family, friends, short-term rentals, emergency shelters, or insurance-covered temporary housing depending on your policy.
Save every housing receipt from the beginning.
4. A Standing Home Can Still Be Filled With Toxic Smoke And Ash
One of the hardest parts of fire damage is that the danger is not always obvious.
A home can still be standing and still be contaminated.
Smoke and ash can move into places you cannot see:
- Attics
- Insulation
- Wall cavities
- HVAC systems
- Carpets
- Curtains
- Furniture
- Clothing
- Soft toys
- Crawl spaces
This is where people often make a costly mistake. They walk in, see the house is still there, open the windows, wipe the counters, and try to move on.
But smoke damage is not always visible. Smell is not a safety test. A home can look normal and still need professional assessment.
Depending on how close your home was to the fire or smoke path, professional testing may be needed for smoke residue, soot, ash contamination, lead, asbestos, HVAC contamination, and indoor air quality.
Lead is especially serious for children. Do not treat ash like ordinary dust.
5. I Know You Want To Clean, But Please Wait
After a fire, it is natural to want to do something RIGHT AWAY
You may look at the ash, the dust, the smoke stains, or the mess and feel like cleaning is the first step toward taking your life back.
But please pause before you touch it.
Fire ash is not normal dirt. It can carry toxic particles from burned homes, vehicles, plastics, insulation, paint, batteries, chemicals, and everything else the fire moved through.
If you sweep it, vacuum it, wipe it, or track it through the house, you may spread it farther.
Do not sweep it.
Do not vacuum it with a regular household vacuum.
Do not wipe it around the house.
Do not let children or pets walk through it.
Before cleanup, do this instead:
- Take photos or videos of visible ash and damage if it is safe.
- Keep people and pets away from affected areas.
- Contact your insurance company.
- Ask about smoke, ash, lead, and hazardous-material testing.
- Use qualified professionals for cleanup if contamination is possible.
I know waiting is hard. Cleaning feels like control when everything feels out of control.
But in this case, waiting may protect your lungs, your home, your insurance claim, and the people you love.
6. File The Claim Quickly, But Say Very Little At First
Insurance companies often respond in the order claims come in.
That means you want to open the file quickly.
But that first call is not the time to explain everything.
You are in shock. You may not know the full damage. You may not know whether your home is safe. You may not know what smoke, ash, water, utilities, or hidden contamination has affected yet.
So keep the first call simple.
Say:
“Hi, I was affected by the fire. I need to file a claim.”
If they ask for more detail, say:
“I am still assessing the damage and I am in a trauma state. I want the claim opened now, but I am not ready to provide detailed statements yet.”
If they ask whether you plan to rebuild or return home, say:
“Yes, I want to go home if it is safe and possible. I need time to assess the damage.”
The goal is not to hide anything.
The goal is to avoid guessing while you are overwhelmed.
Open the file. Say little. Save everything.
This is not legal advice. If your claim gets complicated, talk with a qualified professional or a nonprofit recovery resource.
7. Save Every Receipt, Even The Ones That Feel Too Small
Displacement gets expensive and you need to be aware of every little thing you buy like:
Gas.
Toothbrushes.
Meals.
Laundry.
Masks.
Phone chargers.
Pet food.
Hotel rooms.
Medication.
Bottled water.
Save it all.
If you are technically displaced by a disaster, some of those costs may be covered depending on your policy.
Create a folder called “Spokane Fire Expenses.”
Take photos of paper receipts. Save digital receipts. Add quick notes when needed:
- “Hotel after evacuation.”
- “Gas while displaced.”
- “Respirators for smoke exposure.”
- “Meals while unable to return home.”
You may not need every receipt.
But if you do need them, you will be glad you kept them.
8. You Do Not Need To Be In A Hurry To Hire Anyone Today
A lot of people will circle survivors after a fire.
Some can genuinely help.
Some want a percentage of your insurance payout.
Some will sound urgent because urgency gets signatures.
Slow down.
Public adjusters can be helpful in the right situation, especially if your claim is complex or unfairly handled. But they usually take a percentage of the payout, and that decision should not be made while you are exhausted and scared.
Before you sign anything, ask:
- What exactly do you charge?
- Do you take a percentage of my insurance settlement?
- What happens if I cancel?
- Are you licensed for this work?
- Can I read reviews?
- Can I compare options first?
Helpful does not always mean urgent.
The right person will still be there in a week.
9. Bookmark These Three Fire Recovery Resources
You do not have to rebuild your next steps from scratch.
Start with free, survivor-tested resources before spending money.
PostFire
PostFire offers step-by-step recovery guidance from people who understand the disaster recovery process. Start here when you need a roadmap.
United Policyholders
United Policyholders is especially helpful when insurance gets real. Use it to better understand claims, documentation, policy language, and how to protect yourself.
After The Fire USA
After The Fire USA focuses on longer-term disaster recovery. It can help you understand what comes after the first emergency passes.
The simple sequence:
- Start with PostFire for the roadmap.
- Add United Policyholders when insurance gets serious.
- Use After The Fire USA for the long haul.
10. Do Not Ignore The Emotional And Spiritual Shock
The Spokane fires are not only something that happened outside of you.
They can shake something deep inside of you too.
When you lose your home, or even come close to losing it, your body may not understand that the danger has passed. You may still feel like you are bracing for the next bad thing. You may feel numb one minute and completely overwhelmed the next.
That does not mean you are weak.
It means your heart, your body, and your spirit are trying to process something no one should have to go through.
So before you try to figure out the whole future, come back to this moment.
- Put both feet on the floor.
- Take one slow breath.
- Drink some water.
- Eat something simple if you can.
- Call one safe person.
Then write down the next three things you need to do.
Not everything.
Just the next three.
You do not have to rebuild your whole life today. Right now, your only job is the next safe step.
And if the fire has left you carrying trauma, grief, fear, or emotional heaviness, Beyond Tarot And More specializes in helping people feel heard, grounded, and spiritually supported through painful life moments.
FAQs About The Spokane Fires
What should I do first if I was affected by the Spokane fires?
Get safe first. Leave smoke if you can, protect your lungs, find stable housing, open your insurance claim, save receipts, and do not clean ash or smoke damage yourself before professional testing.
Is wildfire smoke dangerous after the Spokane fires?
Yes. Wildfire smoke from residential burn areas can carry fine particles and toxic residue from burned buildings, vehicles, plastics, insulation, batteries, paint, furniture, and household chemicals.
Should I go home right away after evacuation?
No. Wait until officials say it is safe. Going home too soon can expose you to smoke, ash, unstable structures, damaged utilities, hot spots, and hidden contamination.
Should I clean ash myself?
No. Fire ash can contain toxic particles. Sweeping, vacuuming, or wiping it can spread contamination. Photograph the damage, contact insurance, and ask about professional testing before cleanup.
What should I say when I call insurance?
Keep it simple: “I was affected by the fire. I need to file a claim.” If they press for details, say you are still assessing the damage and are not ready to provide detailed statements yet.
What receipts should I save?
Save receipts for hotels, meals, gas, toiletries, medication, clothing, masks, respirators, air filters, pet supplies, laundry, transportation, and anything connected to being displaced or affected by smoke/fire damage.
Should I hire a public adjuster right away?
Not automatically. Public adjusters can be helpful, but they often take a percentage of your payout. Take time to understand the cost, compare options, and avoid signing while panicked.
