Stage 3 — Getting back on your feet
After the fire: health, practical steps, reconstruction
Once the fire is out, another ordeal begins: returning to a damaged home, filing insurance claims, seeking assistance, and struggling to get back to sleep. This section guides you through the process, step by step — in the right order and without jargon.
Key points
- You should only return home once the authorities give the all-clear — weakened trees, flare-ups and smoke remain a danger.
- Insurance: declare under 5 working days. Take photos of everything; don’t throw anything away before the surveyor arrives.
- Forest fires fall under the remit of fire cover standard — not the ‘natural disaster’ category (contrary to a widely held belief).
- Support is available: local and regional emergency funds, agricultural aid, and rehousing schemes.
- Psychological after-effects are normal and can be treated — CUMP, your GP, support organisations.
The next steps, in order
Days 0–2 — securing
Returns only. Check for embers, ventilate, sort out what’s still good. Take photos of EVERYTHING before touching anything. → First steps
Days 0–5 — report
Notification to the insurer within 5 working days, precautionary measures (covering with tarpaulins), inventory of losses. → Insurance procedures
Weeks 1–4 — mobilising support
Town hall (rehousing, emergency fund), county council, insurance (instalments), employer, social security funds. → Financial assistance and the point ‘natural disaster’
Around the clock — looking after people
Shock, sleep problems, distressed children: free support is available from the very first days. → Psychological support
The coming months — rebuilding
Construction work, town planning in high-risk areas, burnt land, sustainable replanting. → Reconstruction & reforestation
The seven ‘After’ guides
First steps
Returning home, residual risks, initial safety measures and the first photos.
Read 5 daysInsurance procedures
Tax returns, tax assessors, advance payments, disputes: asserting your rights without making any missteps.
A natural disaster?
Why forest fires (almost) never fall into this category — and what really applies.
Read SupportFinancial assistance
Emergency funds, agricultural aid, rehousing, donations: an overview that can be filtered by profile.
Read HealthPsychological support
CUMP, helpline numbers, children: recognising the after-effects and getting help.
Reconstruction & reforestation
Rebuilding in high-risk areas, helping the forest to recover — and avoiding mistakes when replanting.
ReadThe two actions to take in the first 48 hours
The anti-embers round-up
The circuit that operates every 2–3 hours, preventing the house from catching fire afterwards.
Read 2–4 hoursEvidence for insurance purposes
Photos, stock records, invoices: thousands of euros at stake.
A challenge best tackled as a team
After every major fire, the lesson is always the same: those who cope best are those who don’t tackle the paperwork on their own. Town halls, disaster relief organisations, neighbours, legal protection insurers, donation platforms — don’t wait until you’re exhausted before asking for help. And if you’re not among those affected: offering a place to stay, a dry garage for storage, or two hours to help with an inventory – that’s very practical help.
The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.
Check the fire alert status for your department, keep track of current fires and report a new fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.