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If a wildfire has damaged your home, interrupted your job, or cut your income, call your mortgage servicer immediately—before or as soon as you miss a payment. Explain the wildfire-related hardship and ask which disaster options apply to your loan, including a temporary reduction or suspension, forbearance, late-fee relief, and any application or deadline. Request every term in writing.
Home damage does not automatically cancel the mortgage. As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau puts it, “After a disaster you still have to pay your mortgage.” Forbearance can postpone or reduce payments, but it does not erase them; the deferred amount remains due under the repayment plan you accept.
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What to do in the first 24 hours
- Call the servicer using a verified number. Use the number on your monthly statement or the servicer’s official website. Tell the representative whether the property is damaged or destroyed, whether you have been evacuated, how the wildfire affected your work or income, whether the problem is likely to be temporary, and whether a payment is already late.
- Ask for the complete disaster-relief menu. Ask which options are available for your loan, whether there is an application or a deadline, what documents are required, and whether late fees can be waived. Ask who owns or guarantees the loan and which current disaster rules govern it.
- Do not agree until you understand the repayment. Ask how much you must pay during the relief period, how long the reduction or pause lasts, whether interest and fees continue, and exactly when and how the postponed amount will be collected.
- Start an insurance claim. Notify your homeowners, renters, or other applicable insurer promptly and preserve claim numbers, adjuster contacts, photographs, evacuation records, receipts, and inventories of damaged property.
- Apply for available disaster aid. FEMA assistance is limited to certain uninsured losses in presidentially declared disaster areas. State emergency-management agencies may offer resources even when the area does not have that federal declaration.
- Keep a contact log. Record the date, department, representative, reference number, promises made, documents sent, and the date you expect a written decision.
Simply stopping payments without an agreement can lead to late fees, delinquency, foreclosure activity, and credit damage. A documented arrangement gives you a defined payment status and a way to challenge mistakes.
How mortgage forbearance works after a wildfire
Forbearance is a temporary arrangement in which the servicer allows you to pay less than the scheduled amount or to pause payments. It is not forgiveness. The unpaid principal, interest, escrow advances, or other amounts remain governed by the written agreement.
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Questions to answer before signing
| Issue | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Amount due now | Is the payment fully paused, reduced to a particular amount, or still required in full? | A “relief” plan that still requires a partial payment may be unaffordable if your income has stopped. |
| Length | What is the start date, end date, and procedure for extending or ending the plan? | Missing the end date can create a new delinquency even when the original arrangement was followed. |
| Interest and fees | Does interest accrue on the unpaid balance? Are late charges, inspection fees, or other costs waived? | Interest generally is not erased merely because a payment is postponed. The agreement should identify every charge. |
| Repayment | Is the deferred amount due as a lump sum, spread over later payments, added to the loan’s end, or payable at another event? | The method determines whether you face a large immediate bill, a higher monthly payment, or a longer loan term. |
| Credit reporting | How will the arrangement and each payment be reported to the credit bureaus? | Confirm the promised treatment and check your reports for errors. |
| Escrow | Will the servicer continue advancing property taxes and insurance, and how will any shortage be collected? | An escrow shortage can raise later monthly payments. Without escrow, you remain responsible for tax, insurance, and association bills. |
Obtain the agreement, notices, and payment schedule in writing. If a representative gives a verbal answer that conflicts with the document, ask for correction before relying on it.
Common ways the deferred balance is collected
- Lump sum: the postponed amount is due at the end of forbearance. This can be difficult if rebuilding or unemployment continues.
- Repayment plan: the servicer spreads the amount across future monthly payments, increasing them for a specified period.
- Payment deferral: eligible amounts are moved to the end of the loan or another defined event, such as payoff or sale. Eligibility and the exact trigger depend on the loan and servicer.
- Modification or another loss-mitigation plan: the servicer changes payment terms after evaluating income, expenses, and the property’s condition.
No option is automatic. The owner or guarantor of the loan, the servicer, the disaster declaration, and your individual circumstances all affect what can be offered.
Coordinate insurance money and repairs before spending it
Tell both the insurer and the mortgage servicer about the damage before signing a repair contract or committing insurance proceeds. Mortgage documents often require insurance checks to name both the homeowner and the servicer. The servicer may hold the funds in an insurance-loss account and release them in stages after inspections, permits, invoices, or progress checks.
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A practical repair-funds checklist
- Ask the insurer who will issue the check, what the settlement covers, and whether additional living expenses or code-upgrade costs are included.
- Ask the servicer where to send a jointly payable check, which documents it requires, and how inspections and staged releases work.
- Get the release schedule in writing before promising a contractor a start date or deposit.
- Keep copies of bids, contracts, permits, receipts, photographs, and each inspection report.
- Do not assume an insurance settlement pays off the mortgage. Unless the servicer agrees otherwise, the loan remains in force while the property is repaired or rebuilt.
If the home is destroyed and rebuilding is not feasible, ask the servicer how the insurance settlement will be applied and what alternatives exist. Do not sign over the property or accept a payoff calculation without independent advice.
Your loan type can change the relief available
Ask the servicer to identify whether the mortgage is insured or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac, or whether it is a privately owned loan. Each program can have different disaster procedures. A non-government-insured or non-sponsored loan may depend largely on the owner’s and servicer’s policies.
| Loan category | What is established | What you still must confirm |
|---|---|---|
| FHA | HUD describes disaster foreclosure protections for qualifying affected borrowers. | Whether your property, delinquency, location, and loan meet the specific requirements. |
| VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac | These programs publish their own disaster guidance and may offer distinct loss-mitigation paths. | The current program rule, application process, and repayment terms for your loan. |
| Other or privately held loans | Relief depends on the loan owner and servicer. | Who owns the loan, which policy applies, and whether any state protection is available. |
Program names alone do not establish eligibility. Have the servicer verify the rule that applies to your account and location.
FHA borrowers: the 90-day foreclosure protection is limited
HUD says an affected FHA borrower who is delinquent, at risk of losing the home, and located in a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster Area may receive a 90-day foreclosure moratorium. The lender must stop or delay starting foreclosure during that period and can evaluate the borrower for forbearance or other loss mitigation.
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This is FHA-specific protection, not a universal mortgage payment holiday. It does not mean the missed payments disappear, and it does not automatically cover every FHA borrower in every wildfire. HUD’s guidance also says borrowers who are current should continue making payments. Ask the servicer to confirm whether the declaration and your loan status qualify.
Protect your credit, escrow, taxes, and insurance
A disaster-related late payment can be reported differently from an ordinary missed payment. The CFPB says a lender may add a natural-disaster code to a credit report so other lenders understand the reason for a delayed payment. That code is not a guarantee that every negative entry will be removed, so ask how your specific agreement will be reported.
During the relief period
- Read each mortgage statement even if the amount due is zero or reduced.
- Confirm that the agreed status and payment amount appear correctly.
- Check all three nationwide credit reports after the arrangement begins and again after it ends. Dispute inaccurate dates, balances, or delinquency codes with the reporting company and furnish supporting documents.
- If taxes and insurance are escrowed, confirm that the servicer is advancing them. Ask how any shortage will affect future payments.
- If there is no escrow account, continue arranging property taxes, insurance premiums, and HOA or condominium fees yourself. A forbearance agreement does not transfer those bills to the servicer.
Keep proof of every payment, including electronic confirmation numbers and canceled checks. If the servicer says a payment is not required, retain that statement and the written plan.
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When a temporary pause will not be enough
If your income or housing situation will not recover before forbearance ends, contact the servicer early for a full loss-mitigation review. Depending on the facts, possibilities can include:
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- Loan modification: the servicer may evaluate a change to the interest rate, term, principal treatment, or payment structure.
- Short sale: the home is sold for less than the mortgage balance with the servicer’s approval. Approval, deficiency treatment, and tax consequences must be addressed in writing.
- Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure: ownership is voluntarily transferred to the lender under an agreement that should spell out the debt, move-out terms, and any remaining liability.
These are case-by-case options, not promises. Submit requested income, expense, insurance, and hardship documents by the stated deadline and keep copies. If foreclosure papers arrive, do not wait for a modification decision; obtain legal advice immediately.
Free counseling and legal help
HUD-participating housing counseling agencies can help homeowners with any mortgage type understand relief and foreclosure-avoidance options. HUD states, “There is never a fee for foreclosure prevention counseling.” Call 1-800-569-4287 to reach HUD’s housing counselor service.
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The CFPB lists the HOPE Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE (4673), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for mortgage-hardship assistance. A housing counselor can help organize documents and questions, but the servicer still makes the decision on your account.
If you have been served with a foreclosure lawsuit, received a sale date, or are unsure of your legal rights, contact an attorney or legal-aid organization in your state. Disaster-related deadlines and protections can be location-specific.
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Wildfire survivors are frequent targets for people who promise to “stop foreclosure” or obtain a guaranteed modification. Walk away from anyone who:
- demands an upfront fee for foreclosure prevention;
- guarantees a modification, payment reduction, or stopped foreclosure;
- tells you to stop communicating with your servicer or to stop making payments without a written agreement;
- asks you to sign over the title, deed, or power of attorney; or
- directs you to send mortgage payments to someone other than the servicer shown on your statement.
Use a verified servicer number and a HUD-participating counselor instead. Never hand over original documents or personal information to an unverified caller.
A simple calendar for staying on track
Before an agreement
- Gather the loan statement, insurance policy, claim number, income records, repair estimates, and a list of essential expenses.
- Write down the maximum payment you can make now and when income may resume.
- Ask for the application, deadline, and required documents.
After approval
- Save the signed agreement and payment schedule in more than one place.
- Set reminders for every reduced payment, document deadline, inspection, and review date.
- Verify statements, escrow activity, and credit reporting rather than assuming the plan was processed correctly.
Before the plan ends
- Ask for the exact amount due on the first regular-payment date.
- If that payment is unaffordable, request a new loss-mitigation review before the end date.
- Confirm how any deferred balance will be collected and whether insurance or tax shortages will change the payment.
A federal-agency statement following the 2023 Maui wildfires described servicer-authorized forbearance and possible post-forbearance payment deferral. That example shows why written, disaster-specific terms matter; it does not establish eligibility or identical terms for a later wildfire.
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