Fire-Damaged Car: What to Do With It

1. Keep everyone back

   Stay well away if there is any smoke or heat. Call 911 for an active fire. Do not open the hood to look, since air can feed the flames.

2. Do not go back in for belongings

   Wait until the fire crew says it is safe. Burned interiors can give off harmful fumes and sharp debris.

3. Ask for the incident details

   Write down the responding agency and any report number. Your insurer may ask for these.

4. Take photos from a safe spot

   Show the whole car, the burn pattern, the interior and the plate. Do not clean anything yet.

5. Call your insurer

   Do this before the car is moved, if you can, and ask whether the insurer wants to inspect it first.

6. If it is on a road, arrange removal

   State law makes it unlawful to leave a vehicle unattended on a highway except while arranging its prompt removal. Police at the scene may arrange a tow.

Ask whether your policy covers fire. Comprehensive coverage is the part of many auto policies that handles non-collision damage, but your own policy decides. Ask these questions:

• Is this covered, and what is my deductible?
• Do you need to inspect the car where it is? How soon?
• Who pays for the tow and storage while you decide?
• Am I allowed to remove my belongings now?
• If the car is totaled, will you take it, or could I keep it?
• Can I have a copy of your valuation report?

Under Washington’s total loss rule, the insurer must provide its valuation report if you request it, and the insurance commissioner says insurers must approve, deny or explain a delay after 30 days. If you have trouble, you can file a complaint with the commissioner online or at 800-562-6900.

Do not sell the burned car until you know how the claim will end. See selling a wrecked car before insurance settles and what totaled means in Washington.

Washington’s RCW 46.12.600 says an owner must report a destroyed vehicle within 15 days, and a surrendered title is marked "DESTROYED." Failing to do so is a gross misdemeanor on the 16th day. If an insurer settles the claim, it must report within 15 days after the settlement.

So when the car is badly burned, find out quickly who is handling this. Ask your insurer. If there is no insurance, ask the Department of Licensing what it needs from you. DOL’s salvaged vehicles page explains how to report.

It depends on how far the fire reached. Heat damage often spreads beyond what you can see, and the wiring, hoses, seals and even metal can be affected.

If you are getting a quote

• What caused the fire? Could it happen again after the repair?
• How far along the wiring have you checked for heat damage?
• Has the airbag system been affected? What about the fuel and brake lines?
• How will you remove the smell and residue?
• What is not covered if something else fails later?

Repair is the better call when the fire was small, the cause is known, and the value the repair adds clearly exceeds the written quote. If an insurer approves the repair, ask how it will handle anything discovered later.

Generally, you can sell a car you have the right to sell, even in rough shape. The questions are who wants it and what the paperwork looks like.

• After a total loss, DOL lists options: sell with a Notice of Cancellation and a notarized bill of sale, keep it and repair it, keep it, or use it for parts. A salvaged car cannot be driven or parked on public roads until it has a new title. See keep or sell a totaled car.
• The title burned too? See how to get a duplicate title and our no-title page.
• VIN plate damaged? Read what to do when the VIN plate is missing before you try to sell.
• Selling privately? Tell the buyer about the fire.

A burned car is a special case for us. Call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what you have, and we will tell you whether we can take it. Up to 3 photos through our pickup form will help. Our wrecked car page explains how we buy damaged vehicles. Please tell us whether anything has been removed, as incomplete vehicles may carry a pickup fee or may be declined.

Keep children and pets away from it. Do not try to start it, even if the damage looks small. If it is a hybrid or EV, tell the fire crew and anyone who tows it, and read our hybrid and EV guide, since a damaged high-voltage battery needs extra care. If fuel or other fluids are leaking toward a storm drain, ditch or stream, Ecology’s spill page lists who to call: 1-800-OILS-911 at any hour, and for a spill to water, both 1-800-258-5990 and 1-800-424-8802 right away. If the car was stolen before the fire, report that to police. A theft report relieves the abandoned vehicle infraction but not the towing costs, so stay in touch with whoever towed it.