What is fire damage and what is insured?

Fire causes several hundreds of millions of francs of damage in Switzerland every year. Comparis explains what fire damage is covered, and which type of insurance applies in the event of a claim.

Lara Surber Foto
Lara Surber

17.02.2021

How is fire damage insured?

iStock / GeorgiNutsov

1.Which insurance covers any damage?
2.What fire risks are insured?
3.Is scorch damage covered?
4.What precautions reduce the risk of fire?

The fire brigade is called out to fight fires around 13,000 times a year (information in German, French and Italian only). The Swiss Insurance Association (SIA) and the association of cantonal buildings insurers (VKG/AECA) (in German and French only) put the damage to household contents and buildings at over 700 million francs in 2019.

Which insurance covers any damage?

Fire damage is included in the basic cover afforded by household contents insurance, along with natural hazards, theft and water damage. Insurance companies in the Swiss market that insure items against fire damage must also cover damage caused by natural hazards. Fire damage to the building itself is covered by buildings insurance.

What fire risks are insured?

Insurers distinguish between the sources of the damage:

  • Destructive fire: an uncontrollable fire outside of a fireplace or similar that spreads independently and causes damage to household contents. Damage caused by a destructive fire like this is insured.

  • Domestic fire: a controlled fire in a dedicated environment, such as an open fireplace or wood-burning stove. A burning candle also counts as a domestic fire. Damage caused by domestic fires is not insured. A domestic fire may become a destructive fire if, for example, a candle flame ignites the wooden table the candle is on, or a Christmas tree.

  • Sudden build-up of smoke: the smoke from a destructive fire damages walls and ceilings. Please note that damage caused by a gradual build-up of smoke is not insured. This includes discolouration on the ceiling owing to smoke from the fireplace or cigarette-smoking.

  • Explosion: damage resulting from a sudden chemical or physical reaction. An example here would be a propane gas leak that ignites.

  • Lightning strikes: damage to household contents that is caused directly or indirectly by a lightning strike is insured. This also includes the replacement of electrical appliances, providing the damage was caused by a power surge resulting from the strike.

  • Aircraft/spacecraft crashes or emergency landings: damage to household contents caused by the crash of a flying object, or parts of it, which might cause the building to catch fire, is insured.

Some insurers also cover the risk of implosion – damage caused by the sudden destruction of a hollow body as a result of excess external pressure. Old television and computer monitor tubes are susceptible to this sort of damage.

Compare contents insurance

Is scorch damage covered?

Scorching refers to damage that has been caused by heat, but not by a naked flame. From the insurance point of view this is not treated as fire damage. An example of scorch damage would be a burn hole in a carpet caused by a red-hot piece of wood falling out of an open fireplace. Scorch damage does not cover things like the deformation of plastic items because of the heat from a fireplace.

Check whether your household contents insurance covers scorch damage, and whether the cover is sufficient for your needs.

What precautions reduce the risk of fire?

Fire risks can be reduced by taking the following precautions (this list is not exhaustive). You can find more fire prevention tips (in German and French) on the website of the fire prevention advisory centre (BFB/CIPI).

  • Never leave burning candles unattended

  • Buy fire extinguishers and fire blankets, and install smoke detectors

  • Do not use liquid fuels when barbecuing or in tabletop food warmers

  • Supervise children near fire, and teach them how to handle it

  • Have defective appliances repaired, or replace them

Welcome! You are now logged in.
Go to user account