The Hidden Damage of Wildfires: What Adjusters and Restorers Need to Look For

Wildfire season now starts earlier, lasts longer, and burns more than before. Already in 2025, wildfires damaged 57,000 acres in California, well above the five-year average of 1,398 acres. There were more than 64,000 wildfires in the U.S. in 2024, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

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Wildfires gobble up communities. They destroy homes, schools, and offices. For the 16,200 structures that were destroyed in the L.A. fires, for example, there’s not much an adjuster can do because there’s nothing left.

But in a wildfire scenario, it’s not just the burned structures and acreage that need to be assessed. Surrounding communities may also be processing fire damage claims from a “hidden” source: Smoke.

How Homes Miles Away from the Blaze Get Fire Damage

One of the reasons wildfires spread so quickly from house to house is embers get pulled into the home via attic dormers and HVAC systems. Common insulation materials found in attics, especially those in older homes, are easily combustible.

Those homes lucky enough to be spared from the blaze can still see a ton of fire damage from smoke and ash. Those same dormers can pull in ash from the surrounding area. From there, if an A/C unit or heating unit is on, that ash gets blown through the house, discoloring walls or surfaces, leaving soot stains, and creating a health hazard. It can take multiple rounds of cleaning for the ash to go away once the fire is fully contained.

Save Time on Site for Smoke Damage Claims

This kind of smoke damage has traditionally been one of the hardest things to prove in the insurance industry—and one of the reasons fire has become so costly in the United States—requiring hours of on-site investigations of HVAC systems, insulation, and structural components, all of which may require a different specialist to access. 

Instead of spending hours sketching out floorplans, going over air flow patterns, or substantiating smoke damage, you can spend just a few minutes with DocuSketch’s comprehensive 360° documentation. Place your  tripod in areas of focus and let us capture detailed images, measurements, and more. 

Doing this can:

• Minimize return trips for restoration contractors, HVAC specialists, and adjusters by gathering all necessary documentation upfront.
• Provide insurers with an immersive view of the loss, expediting approvals.
• Improve accuracy in scope-of-work estimates, preventing delays caused by missing details.

This way, adjusters don’t have to wait on back-and-forth from multiple stakeholders to process a smoke damage claim. The longer you wait to clean smoke damage, the more difficult it can be to clean—all the while posing a significant health risk. With DocuSketch, you can be in and out quickly. The average whole-house fire takes less than 20 minutes on site to fully document.

360° Imaging Shows the Full Scope of Fire Damage

Many insurance policies have cleaning inclusions for when something like this happens. But for a claim to be viable, it must show “distinct, demonstrable, physical alteration to property,” at least according to the California Court of Appeal, which recently affirmed a trial court’s rejection of a smoke claim to an otherwise undamaged home. 

That’s where DocuSketch can be so valuable.

In just a few minutes, an adjuster can provide a comprehensive, interactive view of an entire damaged property to better assess what kind of repair work is needed, whether the smoke damage is localized or property-wide, and proof of the layer of soot, rather than dust, around the home. Discoloration, stains, and soot captured on DocuSketch’s 360° imagery can all assist in processing a claim more efficiently. Once you've completed your tour with DocuSketch, we also place all your images into a comprehensive, industry-recognized photo report with supporting documentation to further save you time.

Accelerate Fire Damage Claims with DocuSketch

As wildfire events become more frequent and severe, insurance professionals must adapt to evolving challenges. DocuSketch helps adjusters and restorers provide faster, more accurate claims assessments so people can rebuild their homes—and their lives.

See how 360° imagery can transform your claims workflow > Book a Demo Here

One final note: I’m from L.A., and seeing this destruction firsthand has been heartbreaking. Entire neighborhoods disappeared overnight, and it will be a long time before rebuilding and restoration efforts can be realized. You can help support recovery efforts here.