Insurers have received 45 claims as of this morning from the Queensland and NSW bushfires, which have been declared a catastrophe by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA).

Twenty insurers have policyholders in the affected areas so far, according to an ICA update provided to insuranceNEWS.com.au.

Of the 45 claims lodged with insurers, 30 are from southeast and central Queensland and the remaining 15 from northern NSW. The claims are for homes, fences and motor vehicles.

“It’s a small number of claims – however, each claim is high impact,” ICA says in the email update, adding it can take up to a week to get an accurate assessment of the situation.

Assessors are standing by near the affected areas and waiting for roads to reopen.

The Queensland fires damaged nearly 50 structures, including 12 that are completely destroyed, according to Acting Premier Jackie Trad.

Emergency crews in Queensland and NSW are still working to contain the fires today, which have been made worse by the extreme dry conditions.

The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre warned last month in its latest seasonal outlook that an above-normal fire potential is in store for the east coast.