A house fire can be devastating. Recovering from fire damage can be a bigger trauma. After suffering from fire damage, it may be difficult to know what to do immediately after that. Many emotions get involved and clog your reflexes – what to do, whom to call, how to clean, and how to restore damage – all of these are crucial steps to restore everything that was not damaged by the fire. More importantly, you must know when it is safe to reenter the building.
Our checklist will tell you what exactly you must do after a fire damage in your home. Remember that if you act quickly, there is hope for recovery and restoration. If fire breaks in someone else’s home, make sure you act speedily and help them. Because two heads are always better than one, don’t you agree?
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. Do not enter your house or the building until the respective authorities grant permission. 2. Do not turn on the electricity, water, or gas until it is safe to do so. Wait for fire damage restoration expert’s advice and guidance.
First Few Things You Must Take Care Of After Fire Damage
- Run to safety, as fast as you can. There is no point in saving the building until you have the equipment and tools to do so. Just run.
- Call the fire department emergency number and ask them to send professionals to put out the fire.
- Make sure the pets are away from the fire and safety.
- Call the homeowner insurance company you have a policy with and register a claim.
- Take photographs of the fire, burning property, and other stuff that you think could act as evidence for the claim. Do not go too near to click pics. Document everything properly.
- If possible and if it is SAFE, turn off the gas pipe valve and the main electricity supply of the house.
- Take care of everyone’s emotional needs. Serve them water and food. Fire can be the worst kind of damage, unlike water and mold, because it takes away everything quickly.
- Wait. All you can do is wait for the officials to arrive.
When the Fire Starts to Seize:
- Call fire damage restoration service provider to discuss property restoration solutions. Request them to send someone over quickly for a survey.
- Wait for the fire department officials to give you a green flag for entering.
- Once you enter, see if you can retrieve valuable belongings and irreplaceable items, such as jewelry, heirlooms, documents, etc.
- Do not hang around the property too much. The soot and smoke can affect your lungs.
- Open the doors and windows to ensure the smoke escapes the house and does not accumulate on the furniture and belongings as soot.
- Make sure you discuss the specifics of the fire report with the fire department and make a copy of the document. The fire report will help you in processing your insurance claim faster.
- Call the local police department and inform them about your house is temporarily vacant. This will ensure that the house is under police surveillance, especially during the nights. Because this prevents burglars from taking shelter or stealing items.
- You must also notify the local suppliers to deliver milk, eggs, and groceries to the current address.
- Inform the post office to not forward emails to the address but rather hold them for you to pick up.
- If you have lost your important documents, such as license, passport, bills, certificates, etc. start the process of reapplying them.
Call In A Fire Restoration Company
Make sure the home is completely soot, smoke, and smell free before you reenter. Hire a certified or licensed fire damage restoration company to remediate the place professionally. Once they have been in to clean things up, you can determine what needs to be replaced. If the fire isn’t a total loss to the home then you will need to evaluate the fire damaged property.
Furnishings and decor may smell like smoke after a burning house fire. Belongings can always be replaced. This is the time that you should call in an interior designer to help you get your house back to a livable home. An interior designer can help alleviate some stress of the situation by helping you design and shop for new furnishings and decor. You have enough trauma to have to think about what would look and function well in the home. Therefore having a designer help you, will allow you to get back to what is really important after fire damage in your home.
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