My house burned down one year ago (technically one year, tomorrow). The firefighters wouldn't allow me to go in and save things, but I snuck in when they were busy on my neighbor's house and was able to save my dog. Our cat, sadly, didn't make it. Neither did 99% of our belongings.
This how I would prioritize, based on my horrific experience:
1. People (obviously). Your safety is the most important part.
2. Pets
3. Irreplaceable sentimental items.
4. IDs, marriage certificates, birth certificates, passports, etc. I lost all but my driver's license in the fire and I'm still in the process of getting some of these documents replaced. This is particularly sucky if you are an immigrant like I am, where to get a new passport, you need a citizenship certificate, and to get a citizenship certificate you need a birth certificate, and to get a birth certificate you need a document from your country of origin, etc. It's a mess. Grab those documents.
5. Irreplaceable items that are important, but don't necessarily have sentimental value. Some of your digital data might fit this category. Having a backup in the cloud is a great idea.
6. Valuable items that are expensive to replace. Cameras, laptops, etc.
7. Anything else you still have room and time to get.
The insurance company will likely make you go through hell to get your money. So take photos and videos of all your belongings BEFORE they burn down. If you have offline receipts, take them with you or scan them before you lose them. Online receipts are easier to find, of course.
This how I would prioritize, based on my horrific experience:
1. People (obviously). Your safety is the most important part.
2. Pets
3. Irreplaceable sentimental items.
4. IDs, marriage certificates, birth certificates, passports, etc. I lost all but my driver's license in the fire and I'm still in the process of getting some of these documents replaced. This is particularly sucky if you are an immigrant like I am, where to get a new passport, you need a citizenship certificate, and to get a citizenship certificate you need a birth certificate, and to get a birth certificate you need a document from your country of origin, etc. It's a mess. Grab those documents.
5. Irreplaceable items that are important, but don't necessarily have sentimental value. Some of your digital data might fit this category. Having a backup in the cloud is a great idea.
6. Valuable items that are expensive to replace. Cameras, laptops, etc.
7. Anything else you still have room and time to get.
The insurance company will likely make you go through hell to get your money. So take photos and videos of all your belongings BEFORE they burn down. If you have offline receipts, take them with you or scan them before you lose them. Online receipts are easier to find, of course.
Best of luck to you. I hope your house is spared.