Advocates for limits on indiscriminate outdoor lighting that obscures night skies worldwide are recognizing efforts by an oil and natural gas developer to reduce scattered light in New Mexico.DarkSky International, an advocacy group for preserving or restoring views of starry skies, announced on Wednesday its first-ever certification of oil and natural gas sites that seek to reduce unwanted light pollution.It recognized Denver-based Franklin Mountain Energy for lighting retrofits at two sites and one new location within a major oil production zone in southeastern New Mexico. The projects are expected to reduce skyglow at locations including Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a remote gathering point for astronomy buffs and night hiking.It doesnt do anything to impact their bottom lineit actually makes the workplace safer, said Peter Lipscomb, vice chair of the New Mexico chapter of DarkSky International, because sensible lighting reduces direct glare that otherwise can make it harder for workers to see.Being rewarded by (seeing) the dark skies of our ancestors, all those things together, its a winning combination.Franklin Mountain Energy cofounder Audrey Robertson said the lighting changes reduce electricity consumption. The company said in a statement that it worked on the effort with an alliance of federal land and parks agencies, telescopic observatories, and the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. Recommendations from the alliance include equipment that directs light downward onto work areas and limits light that is cast upward into the sky.Stargazers worldwide are grappling with the encroachment of outdoor lighting at night.A 2023 study that analyzed data from more than 50,000 amateur stargazers found that artificial lighting is making the night sky across the world about 10% brighter each year. As of 2016, more than 80% of the world lived under light-polluted skies that obscure the Milky Way.New Mexico state lawmakers are drafting a proposed update to a 1999 law that regulates outdoor night lighting in the states high-altitude mountains and desert. The initiative responds to a rapid increase in light pollution amid advances in energy-efficient LED technology that has spurred more outdoor night lighting that is often unshielded.The National Park Service has set the protection of dark night skies as a priority at remote locations including the Chaco Culture National Historic Park, an area of New Mexico that Native Americans consider sacred. More than 99% of the park has no permanent outdoor lighting.Lipscomb also credited oil operators in West Texas that are embracing changes to protect starry skies in collaboration with the McDonald Observatory, near Fort Davis, where research and education depends on dark nights.Morgan Lee, Associated Press

Its 2025 and were still charging phones the same way as a decade ago. Yes, we now have magnetic wireless charging technology, but the process is practically still the same. We connect our smartphones to an external object, be it an actual charger or power bank, with or without cables, and wait for our phones to fully charge. Weve become so accustomed to that system that we barely question now whether it couldnt be better.Fortunately, someone did question that reality, leading to what could be one of the oddest yet also most ingenious phone chargers to pop into the scene, almost literally. Yes, it does look like a toaster, and yes, you do insert your phone into a slot and some toaster-like actions happen inside. But if the technology and the design ever mature and become stable, it could change the way we think about phone chargers and batteries for good.Designer: SwippittOK, your phone doesnt literally charge in around two seconds. Swippitt basically wraps your iPhone in a case called the Swippitt Link that has a battery inside that keeps your phone topped up all the time. That part isnt exactly new, with the likes of Mophie cornering that market almost a decade ago. Whats new is that the extra battery is replaceable, and you dont even have to do it yourself.What you do is dip half the phone, encased in the Swippitt Link, of course, inside the Swippitt Hub, and wait for a few seconds for the mechanism inside to push out the dying battery pack and slide a fresh one in. The Hub has room for up to five of these batteries so, presuming theres one always near you, you practically have zero downtime charging your phone or charging the battery that charges your phone.Admittedly, the appeal of Swippitt wont be immediately evident to most people, but those with multiple people inside a single household might appreciate it. It means family members, especially kids, can quickly get their phone charged before they step out the door, giving parents some peace of mind. Of course, theres also an app that lets you monitor the charging status of the batteries inside the Hub as well as how many times it swapped them out.Just with battery cases, the biggest obstacle to the mass adoption of such a system is that the Swippitt Link has to be designed for each and every supported phone model. At the moment, thats only the iPhone 14, 15, and 16 series, with Samsung Galaxy flagships being added later this year. Less popular models probably have little hope of being invited to the party unless Swippitt designs a universal case that will work based on phone sizes, not models. Theres also the rather steep price tag of $450 for the toaster Hub and $120 for the Link, prices that could eventually go down if the technology gets adopted more widely.The post Ingenious toaster-like device can charge your phone in just two seconds first appeared on Yanko Design.

Its unlikely that major Square Enix releases in the future are going to be exclusive to any one platform, but prominent ones from recent years also seem to be gearing up for multiplatform launches.Final Fantasy 7 RemakeandRebirth,both of which are currently available only on PlayStation (and the former also on PC), seem to be headed to additional platforms.In a recent episode of his podcast, known leaker NateTheHate claimed thatFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeandRebirthare both finally officially in development for not only Xbox Series X/S, but also the Nintendo Switch 2. As per the insider, whileRemakewill come to both platforms sometime this year,Rebirthwill follow sometime in 2026.Whether that means the final instalment of theRemaketrilogy is going to be a multiplatform title on the day of its release unlike its predecessors is the big question, though it does certainly seem like things might pan out that way.In the meantime,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis due out for PC on January 23.

The development team for the embattled Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has returned from the holidays and is working on upcoming patches like Sim Update 1. Its also working to bring the Marketplace to the title, but the team is focused on community feedback and prioritizing bug fixes and improvements.Players can look forward to an updated Feedback Snapshot next week. A World Update is also in the works for Brazil, with more information to be revealed. Plans are also underway for the next Developer Livestream, though the team has yet to finalize a date. A web form is available where viewers can submit questions for the developers to address live.Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out our review here. It launched last November to negative reactions from severe server issues where many players couldnt log in and play. Though these were resolved, complaints arose regarding performance, bugs, and other issues. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

Just when you thought it was safe, Forever Entertainment and MegaPixel Studio confirmed that The House of the Dead 2: Remake is out this Spring. It will be available for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out the first trailer below.As the name denotes, this is a remake of the second title of the light gun rail shooter featuring two playable characters James and Gary. As part of the AMS, they venture into a town overrun by zombies and must battle through to investigate the cause. You can either play solo or in co-op with another person.Alongside modernized visuals and a remastered soundtrack (though you can always revert to the original), players can tackle the games bosses in Boss Mode or enter Training Mode. The Campaign also features branching paths and multiple endings. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay footage in the coming months. You can also read our review of the first games remake.

January 11: Prithvi Jayanti in NepalCover of Smoking and Health1654 Arauco War: The Mapuche-Huilliche of southern Chile defeated a slave-hunting Spanish army at the Battle of Ro Bueno.1693 The most powerful earthquake recorded in Italy struck the island of Sicily, causing 60,000 deaths and prompting a period of architectural revival.1914 The Karluk, the flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, sank after being crushed by ice.1964 In a landmark report (cover pictured), U.S. surgeon general Luther Terry issued a warning that tobacco smoking may be hazardous to health, concluding that it has a causative role in lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other illnesses.2003 After Chicago police detective Jon Burge was discovered to have extracted forced confessions from more than 200 suspects, the governor of Illinois commuted the death sentences of 167 prisoners and pardoned four others.Min Bin (d.1554)Socrates Nelson (b.1814)Eva Le Gallienne (b.1899)Eva Tanguay (d.1947)More anniversaries: January 10January 11January 12ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

King announced that it will launch Candy Crush Solitaire on mobile devices on February 6, 2025.Its a sweet new chapter for Candy Crush, which is an extremely popular mobile game series. And its bit like the trend for card games that was started by Balatro. King, a division of Microsofts Activision Blizzard, described the new game as one of the biggest mobile games of all time meets the most popular card game of all time. The free-to-play game is now available for pre-registration on the Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Samsung Galaxy Store and more.Candy Crush Solitaire offers players a fresh, exciting way to enjoy solitaire by blending the familiar gameplay of tripeaks solitaire with engaging new features. Players can expect a strategic, dynamic experience enhanced by fan-favorite boosters, challenging blockers, and a rewarding progression system, all wrapped in the vibrant world of Candy Crush.Pre-register now to unlock exclusive in-game rewards, including a unique card back, 5,000 Coins, four undos, two fish cards, and three color bomb cards. Dont miss out on these perks,pre-register now.Besides Candy Crush Saga, King has had other mobile game hits such asFarm Heroes Saga. King games areplayed bymorethan 200 million monthly active users.Candy Crush Solitaire is free to download and available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon App Store. Whether youre a fan of card games or looking for a relaxing escape, Candy Crush Solitaire offers a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages.King has been testing Candy Crush Solitaire in some countries since July 2023 in markets such as Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico and the Netherlands.GB DailyStay in the know! Get the latest news in your inbox dailyRead our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.

Ill spare you the experience of listening to one of the richest men in the world whine and just tell you straight out: Mark Zuckerbergs interview on The Joe Rogan Experience is full of lies.Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebooks parent company Meta, sets the tone at the very beginning: I think at some level you only start one of these companies if you believe in giving people a voice, right?Unfortunately I wasnt born yesterday, and I remember Zuckerbergs first attempt at getting rich: FaceMash, a clone of HotOrNot where he uploaded photos of his fellow female students to be rated without their consent. Giving people a voice is one way of describing that, I suppose. Personally, Id call it creep shit.If you can get away with the small bullshit, you can get away with the big bullshit, right?Early on in the interview, Zuckerberg tests out the water to see how much pushback hell get; Rogan is a notoriously soft interviewer its like listening to your dumbest stoned friend hold a conversation but he does occasionally challenge his guests. So Zuckerberg says that there are limits on the First Amendment by saying, Its like, all right, you cant yell fire in a crowded theater.Fire in a crowded theater makes every lawyer I know foam at the mouth because its flat out wrong. It is not the law, and it never has been. And, obviously, you can yell fire in a crowded theater especially if, you know, the theater is on fire. Rogan says nothing in response to this, and Zuckerberg knows hes got a willing mark. If you can get away with the small bullshit, you can get away with the big bullshit, right?For his part, Rogan serves up Zuckerberg a series of softballs, setting his own tone by referring to content moderation as censorship. The idea that the government was forcing Zuckerberg to censor news about covid and covid vaccines, Hunter Bidens laptop, and the election is something of a running theme throughout the interview. When Zuckerberg isnt outright lying about any of this, hes quite vague but in case you were wondering, a man who was formally rebuked by the city of San Francisco for putting his name on a hospital while his platforms spread health misinformation thinks that on balance, the vaccines are more positive than negative. Whew!Misinformation on Facebook started well before the 2016 election as early as 2014, scammers were spreading Ebola lies on Facebook. Shortly after the 2016 election, Adam Mosseri then Facebooks VP of product management said in a statement that Facebook was combating fake news but theres so much more we need to do. Facebook did receive criticism for spreading fake news, including misinformation that benefitted President Donald Trump, but even then, Zuckerberg wasnt having it. I do think there is a certain profound lack of empathy in asserting that the only reason someone could have voted the way they did is they saw some fake news, Zuckerberg said.Its something out of like 1984.Still, in the 2020 election, Facebook along with other social media networks took a harsher stance on fake news, making it harder for Macedonian teenagers to make a profit off Trump supporters. During his Rogan interview, Zuckerberg now characterizes this intervention as giving too much deference to a lot of folks in the media who were basically saying, okay, theres no way that this guy could have gotten elected except for misinformation.Facebook implemented a fact-checking program, one that involved partners such as the conservative online magazine The Dispatch, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and USA Today. In a concession to Donald Trumps second presidency, implemented before Trump even took the oath of office, Zuckerberg has said Facebook will end the program. Were going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms, Zuckerberg said in the video announcing the move.On the Rogan show, Zuckerberg went further in describing the fact-checking program hed implemented: Its something out of like 1984. He says the fact-checkers were too biased, though he doesnt say exactly how.The problem wasnt that the fact-checking was bad; it was that conservatives are more likely to share misinformation and get fact-checked, as some research has shown. That means conservatives are also more likely to be moderated. In this sense, perhaps it wasnt Facebooks fact-checking systems that had a liberal bias, but reality.The biggest lie of all is a lie of omissionWell, Zuckerbergs out of the business of reality now. I am sympathetic to the difficulties social media platforms faced in trying to moderate during covid where rapidly-changing information about the pandemic was difficult to keep up with and conspiracy theories ran amok. Im just not convinced it happened the way Zuckerberg describes. Zuckerberg whines about being pushed by the Biden administration to fact-check claims: These people from the Biden administration would call up our team, and, like, scream at them, and curse, Zuckerberg says.Did you record any of these phone calls? Rogan asks.I dont know, Zuckerberg says. I dont think we were.Many of the controversial moderation calls Facebook made in the pandemic were during the Trump administrationRogan then asks who, specifically, was pressuring Facebook. And Zuckerberg has no answer: It was people in the Biden administration, he says. I think it was, you know, I wasnt involved in those conversations directly, but I think it was.But the biggest lie of all is a lie of omission: Zuckerberg doesnt mention the relentless pressure conservatives have placed on the company for years which has now clearly paid off. Zuckerberg is particularly full of shit here because Republican Rep. Jim Jordan released Zuckerbergs internal communications which document this!In his letter to Jordans committee, Zuckerberg writes, Ultimately it was our decision whether or not to take content down. Emphasis mine. Like I said to our teams at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction and were ready to push back if something like this happens again.Those emails also reveal Zuckerberg wanted to blame the Biden White House for how Facebook chose to moderate the lab leak conspiracy theory of covid origins. Can we include that the WH put pressure on us to censor the lab leak theory? he asked in a WhatsApp chat. His former president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, responded, I dont think they put specific pressure on that theory.Joel Kaplan, the former George W. Bush advisor who has now replaced Clegg, said that blaming the White House for Facebooks behavior would supercharge conservatives who believed the social media giant was collaborating with the Biden administration. If theyre more interested in criticizing us than actually solving the problems, then Im not sure how its helping the cause to engage with them further, Zuckerberg wrote. This doesnt seem to show that the Biden administration successfully censored anything.Facebook was widely and obviously targeted by Republican lawmakersIn fact, many of the controversial moderation calls Facebook made in the pandemic were during the Trump administration. Take, for instance, the Plandemic video hoax: Facebook removed the video in 2020. Joe Biden took office in 2021. If Zuckerberg was dealing with an administration pressuring him about this, it was the Trump administration. The Biden White House may well have engaged in similar outreach, but it was joining what was already an active discussion about Facebook moderation.Facebook was widely and obviously targeted by Republican lawmakers, including Jordan, Senator Ted Cruz, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Texas governor Greg Abbott, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and incoming Vice President JD Vance. It was mostly conservatives who threatened him during the interminable and pointless Congressional hearings Zuckerberg sat through for years often asking him to comment directly on conspiracy theories or demand that individual trolls be reinstated to his platforms.But Zuckerberg didnt mention any of that to Rogan. Instead, he was upset that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau started investigating him for improperly using financial information to target ads. What does Zuckerberg say about this? Well, let me give it to you straight:They kind of found some theory they wanted to investigate. And its like, okay, clearly they were trying really hard, right? To like, to like, find, find some theory, but it, like, I dont know. It just, it kind of, like, throughout the, the, the, the, the party and the government, there was just sort of, I dont know if its, I dont know how this stuff works. I mean, Ive never been in government. I dont know if its like a directive or its just like a quiet consensus that like, we dont like these guys. Theyre not doing what we want. Were going to punish them. But, but its, its, its tough to be at the other end of that.This is a compelling demonstration that jujitsu and MMA training (or hunting pigs in Hawaii or making your neck real thick or whatever) isnt going to help you act aggressive if youre constitutionally bitchmade. Blaming the CFPB for a witch-hunt when weve all watched Republicans target Facebook really is something! Thats what this whole performance is about: getting Trump, Vance, Jordan and the rest of the Republican party to lay off. After all, the Cambridge Analytica scandal cost Facebook just $5 billion chump change, really. If Zuckerberg plays ball, his next privacy whoopsie could be even cheaper.In fact, Zuckerberg even offers Republicans another target: Apple. According to Zuckerberg, the way Apple makes money is by basically, like, squeezing people. Among his complaints:Apples 30 percent commission on App Store salesAirpods work better with Apple phones than all other headphonesApple wouldnt let Zuckerbergs Meta Ray-Bans connect to iOS using the same quick-setup protocol Airpods useiMessage is a walled garden, and groupchats go wonky if theres a person with an Android phone in thereI mean at some point I did this like back of the envelope calculation of like all the random rules that Apple puts out. If you know, if they didnt apply, like I think you know, its like and this is just Meta, I think wed like, make twice as much profit or something.At least some of these Apple issues actually matter there is a legitimate DOJ antitrust case against the company. But that isnt whats on Zuckerbergs mind. The last point is the important one, from his perspective. He has a longstanding grudge against Apple after the company implemented anti-tracking features into its default browser, Safari. Facebook criticized those changes in newspaper ads, even. The policy cost social media companies almost $10 billion, according to The Financial Times; Facebook lost the most money in absolute terms. You see, it turns out if you ask people whether they want to be tracked, the answer is generally no and thats bad for Facebooks business.Zuckerberg wants us to believe this isnt about politics at allBut Zuckerberg wants us to believe this isnt about politics at all. Getting Rogans listeners riled up about Zuckerbergs enemies and finding Republicans a new tech company target is just a coincidence, as are the changes to allow more hate speech on his platforms happening now, changes that just happen to pacify Republicans. All of this has nothing to do with the incoming administration, Zuckerberg tells Rogan. I think a lot of people look at this as like a purely political thing, because they kind of look at the timing and theyre like, hey, well, youre doing this right after the election. he says. We try to have policies that reflect mainstream discourse.And did this work? Did Zuckerbergs gambit to talk about how social media needed more masculine energy win over the bros? Well, Barstools Dave Portnoy isnt fooled by this shit.I dont know. I did think it was pretty funny that after all these complaints about government censorship, Zuckerberg didnt say a word about Trump and the Republicans efforts at it.After all, Trump, the incoming president who has on occasion threatened to put Zuckerberg in prison, was recently asked if the Facebook changes were in response to his threats.Probably, Trump said.

Mathematical problem-solving has long been a benchmark for artificial intelligence (AI). Solving math problems accurately requires not only computational precision but also deep reasoningan area where even advanced language models (LLMs) have traditionally faced challenges. Many existing models rely on what psychologists term System 1 thinking, which is fast but often prone to errors. This approach generates solutions in a single inference, bypassing the iterative reasoning process essential for tackling complex problems. Furthermore, training high-quality models relies on curated datasets, which are particularly scarce for competition-level math problems. Open-source methods frequently fail to exceed the capabilities of their teacher models, leading to limited progress. Consequently, the development of efficient AI systems capable of addressing these challenges has remained elusive.Microsoft introduces rStar-Math, a self-evolvable System 2-style reasoning framework designed to enhance mathematical problem-solving in small language models (SLMs). With a compact model size of just 7 billion parameters, rStar-Math demonstrates performance that rivals and occasionally surpasses OpenAIs o1 model on challenging math competition benchmarks. This system leverages Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and self-evolution strategies to strengthen the reasoning capabilities of SLMs.Unlike traditional methods that depend on distillation from larger models, rStar-Math enables small models to independently generate high-quality training data through a step-by-step reasoning process. The framework employs a code-augmented chain-of-thought (CoT) data synthesis, a process preference model (PPM), and iterative self-evolution techniques. These advancements allow rStar-Math to achieve notable accuracy across benchmarks, including the MATH dataset and the USA Math Olympiad (AIME), where it ranks among the top 20% of high school students.Technical Innovations and BenefitsrStar-Maths success is underpinned by three core innovations:Code-Augmented CoT Data Synthesis:The system uses MCTS rollouts to generate step-by-step verified reasoning trajectories. This method ensures that intermediate steps are validated through Python code execution, filtering out errors and improving overall data quality.Process Preference Model (PPM):Unlike conventional reward models, PPM employs pairwise ranking to optimize reasoning steps. This approach avoids noisy annotations and offers fine-grained feedback for step-level optimization, resulting in more reliable intermediate evaluations.Self-Evolution Recipe:Through four iterative rounds of self-evolution, rStar-Math progressively refines its policy model and PPM. Starting with a dataset of 747,000 math problems, the system generates millions of high-quality solutions, tackling increasingly challenging problems and enhancing reasoning capabilities with each iteration.These innovations make rStar-Math a robust tool for both academic and competition-level math challenges. Additionally, by enabling smaller models to self-generate data, it reduces reliance on large, resource-intensive models, broadening access to advanced AI capabilities.Results and InsightsrStar-Math has redefined benchmarks for small models in math reasoning. On the MATH dataset, it achieves 90.0% accuracy, a significant improvement over the previous 58.8% accuracy of Qwen2.5-Math-7B. Similarly, its performance on Phi3-mini-3.8B improves from 41.4% to 86.4%, representing a notable advancement over OpenAIs o1-preview model.In the AIME competition, rStar-Math solves 53.3% of problems, placing it among the top 20% of high school participants. Beyond competitions, the system excels across benchmarks such as Olympiad-level math, college-level problems, and the Gaokao exam, outperforming even larger open-source models. These results highlight its ability to generalize across diverse mathematical challenges.Key findings from the study include:Step-by-Step Reasoning Improves Reliability: Verified reasoning trajectories reduce errors in intermediate steps, enhancing overall model performance.Emergence of Self-Reflection: rStar-Math exhibits the ability to self-correct flawed reasoning paths during problem-solving.Importance of Reward Models: The PPMs step-level evaluations play a critical role in achieving high accuracy, emphasizing the value of dense feedback signals in System 2 reasoning.ConclusionMicrosofts rStar-Math highlights the potential of small language models in addressing complex mathematical reasoning tasks. By combining code-augmented synthesis, innovative reward modeling, and iterative self-evolution, the framework achieves remarkable accuracy and reliability. With 90.0% accuracy on the MATH dataset and strong performance in AIME competitions, rStar-Math demonstrates that smaller, efficient models can achieve competitive results.This advancement not only pushes the boundaries of AI capabilities but also makes sophisticated reasoning models more accessible. As rStar-Math evolves, its potential applications could expand beyond mathematics into areas like scientific research and software development, paving the way for versatile, efficient AI systems to address real-world challenges.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences. [Recommended Read] Nebius AI Studio expands with vision models, new language models, embeddings and LoRA (Promoted)

As the smoke began to clear in some parts of Southern California on Friday, the toll of several large wildfires became more visible. As many as 10,000 homes and other structures have burned since Tuesday, leaving behind massive devastation that spans entire neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area.If your home has been destroyed or damaged by wildfire, here's what you need to know about the insurance claims process, your rights as a homeowner and how to prepare for what comes next.What should I do if my home is destroyed or damaged?Once you and your family are safe and the damage to your home can be assessed, you'll need to call your insurance company to begin the claims process. Since that process can take months, it's important to contact the company as soon as possible.If your home has been completely destroyed and a state of emergency declared, your insurance company is required by law to issue a minimum payment up front, even if an adjuster hasn't seen your property. This includes one-third of the replacement value of your personal belongings and a minimum of four months' rent for the local area.Review your homeowners or renters insurance policy carefully, including your limits. Start documenting and creating a paper trail to support your claims process. If you have photos of your property and vehicles prior to the fire, you can use those to help fill out your home inventory if you haven't submitted one already.After checking to see if your home is habitable, documenting the damage, and initiating the insurance claims process, contact your mortgage lender or landlord about the next steps.Overwhelmed? California residents can find resources and a help hotline for filing a wildfire insurance claim here.Do insurance policies cover wildfire damage?Depending on your policy, where you live, and the coverage you're paying for, your homeowners (or renters) insurance may or may not cover damage to your home or belongings caused by wildfire.Typically, fire is a "covered peril" in most homeowners insurance policies, unless your policy specifically details an exclusion for wildfires or if you were dropped from or denied coverage.In some areas prone to wildfires, home insurance policies come with a higher price tag or require a separate deductible for wildfire claims. If you live in a home deemed high-risk where you can't obtain traditional home insurance, the FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) plan may provide basic fire insurance.How do I file a claim for wildfire damage?It's natural to feel overwhelmed when a natural disaster upends your life. Here's what homeowners can do in the aftermath of a partial or total loss due to wildfire.Step 1: Call your home insurance companyOnce you've reached safety, start the claims process to receive an initial payment to cover your living expenses for several months. When planning for the long term, make sure to factor in your deductible.Step 2: Inventory the damageIf you can, photograph and detail the damage to your home, vehicles and personal belongings. If you haven't yet completed a home inventory for insurance purposes, work with a trusted friend or family member to detail and list appliances, furniture, electronics, decor and other equipment alongside brand name and estimated purchase price.Step 3: Review your policy carefullyReview your home insurance or renters policy, its coverage limits and what benefits you're entitled to for personal belonging reimbursement and living expenses. Insurance companies are required to provide this information to you upon request.A typical homeowners insurance policy includes coverage for rebuilding or replacing the structure of your home and detached structures like garages, as well as coverage up to a certain limit for personal belongings inside the home. Most policies also offer liability protection and coverage for additional living expenses (ALE).Step 4: Keep your receiptsPay close attention to your ALE limits to cover hotel bills or rent, restaurant meals and other expenses you might incur while your home is being repaired or rebuilt. If your home is destroyed and needs to be rebuilt, you might be looking at a minimum of a year or more of additional living expenses.Step 5: Look out for fraudDuring a major disaster, it can be easy to get bogged down in rumors or fall for scams. Your neighbor's insurance policy or company may be different, so work with your insurance company only, says Janet Ruiz, a California-based representative for the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute. Fraud is common. "Unlicensed contractors, unlicensed public adjusters often prey on those who have suffered a loss," said Ruiz.Step 6: Document everythingStart a claims folder where you can keep notes, recordings and details about every interaction you have with your insurance company, mortgage company and others. The claims process can be lengthy, and you may be required to secure multiple bids and work directly with contractors.Step 7: Don't accept an unfair offerWorking with your claims adjuster is a negotiation process. If the first settlement offer doesn't fully account for the cost of repairs or rebuilding, you can issue a demand letter seeking further payments that are more in line with your coverage limits and your home's value."Often homeowners are on the defensive or don't ask enough questions of the claim adjuster. If you don't get answers, ask for a supervisor," said Ruiz.Step 8: Secure professional help if neededIf you're unsure if you're being treated fairly by your home insurance company, many states provide resources to help with the claims process. You can also seek out mediation or get a lawyer involved as a last resort to settle a disputed claim.What if my insurer dropped my coverage before the wildfire?Most states require insurers to notify homeowners of a policy cancellation months before the end date. Ruiz said if you're denied coverage, it's important to find a policy with another insurance company and that the California FAIR plan takes all insurable homes.California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance nonrenewals and cancellations. Those within certain ZIP codes affected by the Southern California fires cannot have their homeowners policies canceled for one year, regardless of whether they suffered a loss.If the fire was part of a federally declared disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide some support for insured and uninsured homeowners alike. California homeowners and others impacted by the Los Angeles fires can file for FEMA assistance here.Do I have to pay my mortgage after wildfire destruction?Even if your home is a total loss or deemed uninhabitable, you're still on the hook for the remainder of your mortgage. Contact your lender immediately to see if you qualify for forbearance or payment deferment while your claim is being processed.Some lenders may be willing to defer payments for three months up to a year pending an insurance payout. This is critical to protect your credit score, as late or missing mortgage payments would otherwise be reported as delinquent and impact your credit rating.How can I protect my home from future wildfires?As wildfires become more prevalent in every part of the country, many people are taking steps to protect their homes. Some states,such as California, have federal, state and local programs to assist homeowners in mitigating fire risk by retrofitting and hardening their property to defend against wildfires.Home insurance companies may also offer incentives for taking certain measures, such as installing sprinklers, creating a defensible perimeter on your property and upgrading your home with fire-resistant materials.