What To Do After A House Fire

9/14/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline can completely restore your home following a fire.

Figuring out what to do after a fire can feel impossible. You may have a long list of thoughts, such as who should I call first? When will it be safe to enter my home? Where will I stay? What should I do about the water damage? SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline is a specialist in fire damage restoration and will walk you through what you should do after a house fire in your East Haven home here.

10 Things To Do After A House Fire

1 Call 911.

Make sure everyone made it safely out of the house and is getting medical attention if needed.

2 Call your family members or loved ones.

Don't let the overwhelming nature of the situation let your forget the small, important things like letting your family and friends know that you and others that were in the house are safe. It may also be comforting to have a shoulder to lean on during a challenging time.

3 Call your insurance company.

Whether you have a small or large fire - you will want to file an insurance claim. Even a small fire can cause extensive smoke or soot damage throughout your home and will require a professional cleaning. Your insurance company will likely connect you with a company to handle the fire damage restoration and odor removal process, like SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline.

4 Find a safe place to stay.

Your home is likely not livable the same night that you have a fire, even if it was small. Stay with friends or family if possible. If not, contact your insurance agent and see if they can help with funds to secure a temporary place to stay. If insurance will not cover this, you can look for local disaster relief resources, such as the Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

5 Secure your home.

If the fire didn't burn your home to the ground, you'll want to make sure that nothing else adds on to the damages. If there are any holes in the roof, broken windows, or any other large openings, get a company to tarp and board up your home. This way, no pests, squatters, or rain can get in your home.

6 Find out if your home is salvageable.

Your house fire may cause enough structural damage that it should be demolished and rebuilt rather than going through the fire restoration process. This will likely be determined by the insurance adjuster that comes out to assess your damages.

7 Assess damaged, lost, or unsalvageable items.

Take inventory of any important documents or credit cards that may have been lost in the fire and arrange for replacements. Inspect the damaged items around your home and be sure to take photos of everything to be correctly reimbursed by the insurance company. Determine which items may be able to be restored by a contents restoration company, such as items covered in soot, smoke, or are water damaged. Check with your insurance company that they will cover the restoration of your fire damaged contents.

8 Be sure to get a copy of the fire report.

You can get the report from your Fire Department. A fire report is the official document that details the specifics of the event. This document will be very important for your insurance company.

9 Organize your current finances.

Unfortunately even if your home burns down, you will have to continue making your mortgage payments. But, at the same time, you may have more expenses than before.

10 Find a fire damage restoration company you can trust.

Experience a fire is overwhelming and stressful - so you want to be using a company that will make the process easier and stress-free for you. Even a small fire can take weeks to completely clean up after, and you will be working closely with whatever restoration company you end up choosing.

3 Things NOT To Do After A House Fire

1 Don't re-enter your home before the local authorities say that it is safe.

2 Don't turn on the gas, water, or electric before it has been deemed safe to do so.

3 Don't try and clean soot or smoke by yourself. Unless you have the right tools, you may be making it harder to clean.

Other Considerations

After such an overwhelming event, you should be sure to take care of yourself and your family. Let your children's' schoolteachers know they're going through a stressful time. Let your employer know the same as well.

Be gentle on those affected by the fire - you're all going through a terribly stressful time. But, you will get through it! It's a good idea to look in to counseling for you and your family to ensure no trauma or unhealed emotions remain.

Restoring & Rebuilding After A Fire

SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline is Here to Help 24/7, 365 days a year. We will work with local authorities to ensure that we can begin working the second they extinguish the fire - First starting with securing your property.

SERVPRO can be there every step of the way, from the initial board up to the final renovation. We will work with your insurance company to ensure that there is little to no cost to you.

Need Help? Call SERVPRO 24/7 - 800-734-3213

SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline is a 24/7 damage restoration company specializing in fire, water, mold and COVID-19. Whatever your disaster, SERVPRO can make it "Like it never even happened."