Does Travel Insurance Cover Wildfires?
Key Takeaways:
- Ongoing wildfires are impacting trips worldwide. Most recently, in the U.S., fires broke out in Florida and Georgia in late April.
- Spain, Portugal, and Greece also experienced record wildfires and severe wildfire conditions in late 2025.
- Wildfire coverage is included in most comprehensive travel insurance plans, but claims are usually only valid if you bought your policy before the fire became public knowledge.
- The best wildfire travel insurance plans can cover trip cancellations, interruptions, delays, and evacuations caused by wildfires
- When possible, opt for Cancel For Any Reason for the most possible flexibility when it comes to canceling a trip due to a wildfire. This is the only benefit that can cover wildfire-related cancellations that are not otherwise covered by standard travel insurance.
- Find policies that include wildfire protection using our travel insurance comparison tool to review prices from multiple travel insurance companies at once.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Wildfires?
Yes, some travel insurance policies can reimburse you for trip cancellations, interruptions, strandings, delays, and missed connections due to wildfires or forest fires at your home or your destination.
Wildfires and forest fires fall under the Severe Weather & Natural Disaster coverage, which is included within most comprehensive travel insurance plans. Depending on the timing of the fire and its impact on your trip, this can trigger various pre-trip and mid-trip travel insurance benefits.
However, it’s important to note that coverage for wildfires varies, and not every plan includes it.
If you’re concerned about a wildfire impacting your trip, it’s always best to compare plans and check your policy’s wording before buying. You can even contact the insurance company directly to confirm the plan has the coverage you need.
Known Events & Buying Early
Travel insurance plans are built to cover unforeseen events, so you must buy a plan before the fire becomes a “known event” to be eligible for coverage.
With wildfires specifically, travel insurance companies can use any of the following as the cut-off for when it is considered a “known event”:
- The date a wildfire began
- The date the wildfire was forecasted
- The date an official government agency issued a fire warning
These dates can vary by provider, so it’s best to reach out to your travel insurance company for more information.
If you are concerned about a wildfire impacting your trip, try checking this worldwide wildfire map for an updated view of all ongoing wildfires.
What Can Travel Insurance Cover for Wildfires?
Travel insurance coverage for wildfires is typically included within a plan’s Severe Weather and Natural Disaster coverage. With this coverage, you can be covered under several different types of travel insurance benefits if an unknown wildfire impacts your travel plans, including Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Trip Delay, Missed Connection, Emergency Medical, and Medical Evacuation.
The most common scenarios wildfire travel insurance can cover include:
- Fire damage renders your primary residence or travel accommodations uninhabitable, either before departure or during your trip
- An evacuation order is issued at your destination
- Your travel supplier cancels your trip due to a wildfire
- Your flights are grounded, cancelled, or delayed due to a fire
- You are stranded at your destination
- You no longer feel comfortable traveling due to wildfire risk
Below is a breakdown of all of the travel insurance benefits that a fire can trigger and how they can protect you during a fire.
Trip Cancellation Protection
The most common reason travelers buy trip insurance for wildfires is to protect themselves if they need to cancel their trip. Most wildfire travel insurance plans include Trip Cancellation coverage for the following scenarios:
- A fire burns your home or your lodgings at the destination are burned and uninhabitable
- The airport is closed due to smoke and visibility issues or an imminent fire threat
- Your destination is consumed by a wildfire or made inaccessible due to smoke or fire damage.
- Your hometown or destination is put under a mandatory evacuation order when you are set to depart
- Cessation of travel services that meets the minimum cessation time listed in policy, usually 24 hours or more
If a wildfire forces you to cancel and you meet your plan’s requirements, most policies can reimburse you for 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, which often include airfare, lodgings, tours, excursions, and more.
Exact inclusions vary by policy and provider, and some plans are more restrictive than others. For example, we have noticed that some policies, like ones from Berkshire Hathaway and Aegis, have more inclusive and flexible language that can allow you greater protection for weather-related events like fires.
Cancel For Any Reason
Some wildfire concerns are not covered by standard cancellation coverage, but may be covered by an optional upgrade to Cancel For Any Reason protection.
For example, standard Trip Cancellation will not apply to the following situations:
- Your destination remains open but the activities you hoped to participate in are no longer possible, like the beaches in Florida being closed
- You have a fear of traveling due to wildfire risks
- The air is smokey and it’s hard to see or breath, but you don’t have a documented condition that prevents you from traveling
In these cases, Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is the only travel insurance benefit that can cover you to cancel. This is an optional add-on that provides partial reimbursement of your trip costs if you decide to cancel your trip for a reason not already covered by your plan. CFAR can reimburse between 50% and 75% of your trip expenses, depending on the plan.
It’s important to note that CFAR is only available for a short period of time after you book your trip and has certain eligibility requirements. Roughly 32% of travelers who search for CFAR miss out on coverage because they buy too late, but it’s an especially important benefit for wildfires.
Trip Interruption Protection
Trip Interruption coverage for wildfires works similar to Trip Cancellation protection, with two key differences: it covers you during your trip rather than before and can pay extra to transport you home. If you’re traveling and a wildfire causes a mandatory evacuation at your destination, destroys your lodging, or otherwise forces you to cut your trip short, Trip Interruption can cover all of your unused trip expenses and additional transportation expenses to fly home.
Trip Delay Protection
The effects of wildfires often cause delays. These delays can be classified in two ways: common carrier delays or weather delays. This is a key distinction that may determine whether or not coverage applies.
Oftentimes, delays caused by fires are classified as common carrier delays. In this case, your plan’s Travel Delay benefit must cover “any delay of a common carrier” in order for coverage to apply. This coverage is only available within some plans.
In other cases, wildfires or surrounding smoke can be considered a weather delay. This is far more common within the Travel Delay benefit, as almost every plan includes inclement weather coverage.
When a wildfire causes a covered delay, the Travel Delay benefit of travel insurance can cover incidental expenses incurred during the delay, such as meals, hotels, and more while you wait. This coverage only applies to significant delays however, typically at least 3-12 hours.
Missed Connections
Missed Connection coverage can help you catch up to your trip itinerary if a fire causes a delay that forces you to miss your connecting flight or cruise, but doesn’t cancel your trip altogether. This coverage can include paying for alternate transportation expenses, reimbursing meals and accommodations, and refunding you for missed trip costs.
Coverage within this benefit varies by policy, so it’s crucial to keep all receipts, credit card statements, communication with your airline or cruise line, and any other necessary claims documentation during your delay. This will help you get reimbursed for all covered expenses during your delay.
Emergency Medical & Medical Evacuation Coverage
If you are injured while trying to escape a fire zone, your plan’s travel medical insurance benefits can cover associated medical expenses.
The two main medical protections are:
- Emergency Medical coverage: Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred during your trip, such as hospital stays, doctor visits, ambulance services, medication, and other medical services.
- Medical Evacuation coverage: Covers the cost of a medevac if you are critically injured by a wildfire and need emergency transportation to a medical facility for treatment.
Non-Medical Evacuation Coverage
If a wildfire hits your destination while you are there, Non-Medical Evacuation coverage can provide coverage for evacuation services to transport you out of danger and to a place of safety. This benefit is only included within select travel insurance policies, and not every plan covers natural disasters within this benefit, so be sure to search specifically for this coverage if you are traveling to an area that is prone to wildfires.
24-Hour Emergency Assistance
All travel insurance providers offer 24-Hour Assistance Services as a benefit to policyholders in case they need help during a trip. If a wildfire impacts your trip in any way, contact your provider’s emergency response team and they will help you with a wide range of issues, such as coordinating coverage, arranging an evacuation, or explaining your plan’s benefits.
What Does Travel Insurance Not Cover During Wildfires?
Not every fire-related situation is covered by travel insurance. You likely won’t be covered for the following scenarios:
- You bought your travel insurance plan after a wildfire became a known event
- You want to cancel out of fear of a wildfire (unless you bought CFAR)
- You want to cancel due to loss of enjoyment during your trip (again, unless you bought CFAR)
- You’re concerned the smoke will be a nuisance
- You want to evacuate voluntarily due to a nearby fire that isn’t directly impacting your trip
Fire-Related Coverage to Look Out For
When reviewing your policy, ask yourself these three questions:
- Does the policy include coverage for natural disasters? Most plans do, but this is the first step in making sure you have the coverage you need.
- What does the policy consider as a natural disaster? Some plans list specific events, so confirm that wildfires are included.
- What does the policy cover in the event of a catastrophe? Being covered for wildfires is only part of the answer. You also need to know which specific benefits apply.
Fire-related Benefits to Look for When Buying a New Policy
Selecting the right travel insurance plan can be a daunting process, with so many options to choose from and many plans including the same general benefits. Look for the following specific coverages to confirm a plan has the wildfire coverage you need:
- Make sure it’s a comprehensive travel insurance plan, meaning it includes the Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits
- Confirm that it has Severe Weather and Natural Disaster coverage
- Opt for a policy with lower wait time requirements under Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation
- Choose a policy with more flexible wording for wildfires, such as those offered by Berkshire, Aegis, and Generali
- Upgrade your plan to include CFAR when possible for the most flexibility
Wildfire Coverage to Look for if You Already Bought Your Policy
If you’ve already purchased a policy and are now concerned about a wildfire impacting your trip, take the following steps to ensure you have proper coverage:
- Review the policy for:
- First, confirm that it has Severe Weather & Natural Disaster coverage
- For delays, check the required wait times for coverage to apply. The most generous plans kick in after a delay of 3 hours
- For cancellations, check the wording related to cessation of services. For natural disasters, most plans require a complete cessation of travel services that lasts at least 24 or 48 hours.
- Contact your provider to understand their definition of foreseen vs. unforeseen events
If you find that your plan does not have the coverage you need, you may be eligible to cancel your policy for a full refund. Travel insurance plans include a Free Look Period that allows you to review your plan’s coverage and cancel if it doesn’t meet your needs, as long as you purchased it within the last 3-21 days, depending on the plan.
FAQs: Travel Insurance and Wildfires
What Should I Do If Wildfires Affect My Travel Destination?
If wildfires are impacting your destination, follow all safety orders from local authorities, and contact your travel insurance company’s 24-Hour Emergency Assistance team as soon as reasonably possible. They will explain what coverage you have and can help coordinate safe transportation home.
Be sure to hang on to all documents you will need to file a travel insurance claim, including receipts and communication with your travel suppliers, government orders, and local news reports.
Can I Buy Travel Insurance If My Destination Is At Risk of A Wildfire?
Yes, you can buy wildfire travel insurance if you’re traveling to a destination that is prone to fires, but be sure to check that it’s not already listed as an excluded event. If it is, any claims related to the fire will likely not be reimbursed.
Is it too Late to Buy Travel Insurance for the Florida and Georgia Wildfires?
Yes, it is too late to buy a new travel insurance plan for the April/May 2026 wildfires in Florida and Georgia, as these fires are ongoing and are considered foreseeable by travel insurance companies. You can still buy travel insurance with coverage for unrelated issues, such as cancellations, delays, or medical emergencies, but you won’t be covered for fire-related claims.
Can I Cancel My Trip Because of a Fire?
Yes, many travel insurance policies allow you to voluntarily cancel your trip because of a fire, but coverage typically only applies if you bought your policy before the fire became foreseeable and you meet your plan’s requirements for Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption.
Am I Covered If My Airline or Cruise Line Cancels My Trip Due to a Fire?
Yes, if your airline or cruise line cancels your trip due to a wildfire, travel insurance can cover you as long as you bought a comprehensive plan before the fire became public knowledge.
Am I Covered If My Pre-booked Tour Is Canceled Due To A Fire?
A tour operator canceling a pre-booked tour due to a fire can qualify as a covered reason under Trip Cancellation or Interruption. Similar to airline or cruise line cancellations, you can be reimbursed for 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses, including the cost of the missed tour.
Will Travel Insurance Pay to Evacuate Me If A Wildfire Is Coming?
Yes, travel insurance can cover the cost to evacuate you from a place of danger to a place of safety, as long as your plan includes Non-Medical Evacuation coverage. This benefit is only included within some policies, but can be especially helpful in the event of a natural disaster. To coordinate coverage, contact your provider’s 24-Hour Emergency Assistance number.
Will Travel Insurance Pay to Repair Fire Damage to My Home?
No, travel insurance will not cover the cost of damage to your home or personal property, as this falls under your homeowners’ insurance. The distinction is that travel insurance can reimburse your lost trip expenses if you need to cancel your trip or return home early because your home was significantly damaged or destroyed by a wildfire.