Steps to Take After a House Fire

9/20/2023 (Permalink)

Steps to Take After a House Fire

According to the Red Cross, a staggering 80% of Americans remain unaware that small house fires rank as the most common disaster in the United States. Following the experience of a house fire you can be faced with a multitude of challenges, leaving you uncertain about your next steps. We have created this comprehensive checklist to assist you in navigating the aftermath of a house fire.

1. Contact Family

In the moment it is easy to be overwhelmed, although this may seem like an obvious step this one is of the most importance. The first thing you will want to do is contact your family or anyone who may live in the home along with you. This is to both ensure that everyone in your household is accounted for, as well as to notify your family of the current situation. You may also reach out to local family or friends as you will need a strong support system during these difficult times.

If you are renting your property, the next step will be to contact the property management or homeowner immediately. The homeowners will need to be informed as they are the ones who will need to make the decisions pertaining to the property itself. The quicker the owner is informed the sooner they can begin the recovery process.

2. Inform Insurance

Second to contacting your family, contacting your insurance company will be the most important call you make. This call will begin the claim process, this will act as your first documentation of your loss. You will also need to obtain a copy of the fire report from your local fire department, to submit to your insurance company. Your insurance company can assist you in the next crucial steps like finding emergency accommodation for your family and help with living expenses.

3. Gaining Entry to your Home

The Fire Department will need to assess the damage and determine if the home is structurally sound. Do not enter the home until the fire department has given you authorization as there can be lingering issues. There are many factors that can be potentially harmful to you and your health in the aftermath of a fire. The two most common are structural damage to the roof and floors that can cause them to collapse and smoke or soot inhalation that can be harmful to your lungs. Keep in mind if your home is deemed inaccessible you may not be able to enter at all without putting yourself at risk of injury.

4. Inventory your Possessions.

Once you are allowed reentry into your home, you will need to make a list of damaged and lost possessions. Separating the damaged items from the undamaged item will allow you to create a list to be submitted to your insurance company. Any receipts or bank statements you may have for your possessions will be helpful to submit along with the list of items. The more information you supply your insurance company the easier it will be to process your claim.

5. Determine what can be Salvaged

When you think of a fire you may automatically think of it as a total loss situation. However, depending on the magnitude of the fire there may be items that can be salvageable. Clothes and curtains, as long as they did not catch fire, can be saved. As these items are washable, they can simply be machine washed and reused. The most resilient items happen to be hard nonporous items, such as glass and metal, they often can be cleaned and reused after a fire. Although there are items like upholstery and books that are more difficult to save. These items may require professional content cleaning to remove smoke and soot damage.

6. Fire Remediation

The next steps for your insurance claim will be to evaluate the severity of the loss. Your insurance company will bring in an expert in fire, smoke, and water damage to assess the loss and begin the mitigation process. The restoration team will work diligently to treat the affected burn areas, as well as working swiftly to protect your home from potential water damage caused by the water used to extinguish the fire. The mitigation process will need to begin as soon as possible to be the most effective at saving the integrity of your home. 

7. Rebuild and Restore

Life after a house fire can be difficult, there is going to be a lot of change happening. The important thing is to have a trusted restoration team helping you along the way. This will include a specialized team working to secure your belongings. They will pack up any contents that are not affected and store them safely. As well as arranging any cleaning of smoke damaged items like carpets and furniture. After salvageable items are removed the remediation process begins, the team will remove burnt debris, and begin the process of removing the odor caused by smoke damage to the home. Once that process is complete, they can begin to rebuild and repair your home.

When disaster strikes your home, it is important to stay calm and remember this checklist. There are many decisions to be made and your restoration team will be ready to help you throughout the process. They will work together with you and your insurance company to properly restore and rebuild your home. Giving you the peace of mind to carry on with your life and let the professionals bring your home back to its original glory.