When Fire Takes What Can Be Touched

What insurance replaces – and what it cannot

Fire is not subtle.

It does not negotiate. It does not scale itself to what you can afford to lose. It moves with wind, heat, and momentum, and when it is done, it leaves behind a brutal clarity: what remains, and what does not.

In the recent wildfires across the Garden Route, particularly around Mossel Bay, that clarity arrived for many households overnight. Walls scorched. Roofs gone. Contents reduced to lists instead of objects. And in the middle of that devastation, a familiar question surfaced again and again:

What does insurance actually do now?

Insurance does not restore meaning. It replaces matter.

Insurance exists for one very specific purpose:
to replace the physical items that were lost or damaged.

Buildings. Contents. Fixtures. Appliances. Furniture. Equipment.

It does not replace memories.
It does not restore routines.
It does not make the loss feel smaller.

What it does – when structured correctly – is give you the financial means to rebuild what can be rebuilt, and replace what can be replaced, without turning emotional loss into financial collapse.

That distinction matters. Because expecting insurance to do more than this often leads to disappointment. Understanding exactly what it is meant to do creates stability at the moment you need it most.

Initiating the claims process

The first step is notification. Even if the full extent of damage is unclear, informing your broker or insurer early allows the claim process to begin.

If circumstances allow:

• Photograph or video damage before any clean-up
• Avoid disposing of damaged items unless there is a health or safety risk
• Keep records of emergency expenses

The process can only start once the event is acknowledged.

What fire claims usually include – and what people often miss

Fire losses are rarely limited to what visibly burned.

Most South African household policies respond to:

• Fire, heat and smoke damage
• Soot contamination
• Water damage caused by firefighting efforts
• Forced entry or damage by emergency services

Depending on how your policy is structured, this cover may fall under:

• Buildings or Buildings Combined
• Household Contents
• Additional extensions or defined benefits

All of this is governed by one central principle in South African short-term insurance: indemnity. The policy is designed to place you back, as far as reasonably possible, in the financial position you were in immediately before the loss – no better, no worse.

That is why sums insured matter. Insurance cannot replace what was never adequately declared.

Alternative accommodation: the quiet stabiliser

After a fire, the most immediate loss is often not property – it is shelter.

Most household policies include alternative accommodation cover when a home becomes uninhabitable or access is restricted by authorities. This benefit may cover:

• Temporary rental accommodation
• Guesthouses or hotels
• Reasonable additional living expenses

This cover is limited by both amount and time. It is designed to create breathing room, not permanence. Receipts are essential. Clarity before commitment is critical.

In some cases, even without direct fire damage, evacuation orders alone may trigger this benefit. Policy wording decides – assumptions do not.

Evacuation does not mean “no claim”

One of the most common misunderstandings after wildfire events is the belief that a claim only exists if a house burned down.

In reality, valid claims often arise from:

• Smoke and soot infiltration
• Heat damage to electrical systems or roofing
• Trees, debris, or structural damage caused during firefighting
• Secondary water damage

A home can look intact and still be compromised. Early assessment is not overreacting. It is responsible risk management.

Where claims strain

Large-scale fire events expose gaps that often remain hidden for years:

• Buildings insured on outdated replacement values
• Contents insured on estimates rather than inventories
• Unclear limits for accommodation, clean-up, or professional fees

These are not errors made in bad faith. They are the natural result of risk only becoming visible under pressure.

South African short-term insurance law requires disclosure, reasonable care, and compliance with policy conditions – but it also recognises that policies are complex instruments. This is why professional guidance is not optional during a loss. It is essential.

What a broker is meant to do in moments like this

Our role is not to “submit the claim”.

It is to:

• Confirm which sections of cover respond
• Interpret policy wording when clarity is hardest to find
• Coordinate with insurers, assessors and loss adjusters
• Advocate for fair application of benefits within the policy framework

In times of disruption, understanding becomes a form of relief.

A final thought

Fire strips life down to what is tangible.

Insurance exists to rebuild the tangible – walls, roofs, belongings – so that you are not forced to rebuild your life from nothing at the same time.

If you have been affected, or if you are uncertain how your policy would respond in a similar event, now is the time to ask the questions that matter. Not because disaster is inevitable, but because preparation changes outcomes.

Insurance cannot prevent loss.
But it can prevent loss from becoming ruin.

And that difference matters.

* This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or financial advice.