What to Do After a House Fire? A Complete Guide

The initial shock of a house fire can be paralyzing, but taking action and staying organized is crucial for restoring your property. Do you call the insurance agency first? Is the house safe to enter? Where do you stay? Here is a detailed checklist that describes what to do after a house fire and the best ways to protect your physical and mental health during this stressful change.

Ensure Your Safety After a House Fire 

Once the fire is completely put out, you need to focus on safety first. Always follow any professional guidance about when you can return to your home. Here are some important first steps to take after a fire to recover safely.

Do Not Re-enter the Property

After a fire, stay out of your house until firefighters have declared it is safe. The structure may be extensively damaged, with walls and floors that may collapse suddenly. Electrical wiring is typically still dangerous even after the fire has been extinguished. Smoke released during the fire can cause severe health problems. If your home isn’t safe to live in, make temporary arrangements with relatives, friends, or at a hotel or rental house while you begin the recovery process.

Contact Emergency Services 

If you have not already, call 911 immediately. Firefighters search for hidden dangerous areas and determine whether or not it’s safe to go inside. Their official report makes great documentation to help with your insurance claim. Report the incident to the police as well, creating another record that helps with insurance and investigating the cause of the fire.

Seek Medical Attention 

Have everyone checked by medical professionals, even if they have no visible injuries. Inhaling smoke can cause delayed symptoms. Check with emergency responders if hospital transport is needed. Don’t try treating any burns yourself. If you have pets that have been exposed to fire, find an emergency vet hospital immediately because animals also experience smoke-related trauma.

Address Water Damage Promptly 

After a house fire, water damage often causes more issues that should be resolved urgently. Don’t use outlets or appliances that have been exposed to water until professionals check them. Ensure utility companies disconnect services safely until after a professional inspection. Call remediation experts to get rid of pooling water to prevent mold growth and additional damage until your restoration plan is in order.

Deal With the Immediate Aftermath

Once safety concerns are addressed and you’re allowed to re-enter your property, it’s time for the following steps.

Secure the Property

To protect your house from further damage, cover broken windows, doors, and any damage to your roof or walls if possible. This prevents weather damage, keeps pests out, and deters potential burglars. Temporary fencing around heavily damaged areas can also be a good idea. Most insurance companies expect you to do what is reasonable to prevent further damage, so securing your house properly can help you maintain your coverage while protecting your belongings.

Temporary Housing and Relocation

Arrange for suitable temporary housing as your home is being restored. Ring your insurer to determine what they will cover. They may cover the cost of renting a home or staying in a hotel until you can move back into your home. Keep track of any payments you make during this time to make sure you can get reimbursed properly.

Assess the Damage

Once you’ve protected your belongings and found a place to stay, it’s time to inspect what has been damaged and what is salvageable. Follow these steps to assess and record the condition of your home:

1. Visual Inspection and Documentation

Visually inspect all signs of damage and record them for your insurance claim. Take clear photos and videos of every damaged room, as well as close-ups of the damage. It’s best to make a detailed list describing each damaged item, estimated values, and purchase details. Keep your receipts for all emergency expenses related to the fire. Keep all damaged items until the insurance adjuster has inspected them. If possible, organize your documentation digitally, making it easier to share with insurance representatives and contractors.

2. Identify Types of Damage 

The damage caused by a fire goes far beyond the actual materials that are burned. Water from firefighting efforts affects floors, walls, and belongings throughout your home. Smoke particles that penetrate deeply into porous materials cause long-lasting odors and potential health concerns. For comprehensive damage control, your electrical, heating/cooling, and plumbing systems will need to be inspected thoroughly.

3. Salvage Important Items

Once you can re-enter your house safely, focus on recovering essential documents like identification, insurance papers, bank documents, and valuables. Examine every item carefully to determine if professional cleaning can restore it. Handle everything gently since improper cleaning can make damage permanent. Create two lists, one for salvageable items and one for destroyed items, and note replacement costs for losses. For sentimental or high-value items, consult restoration professionals who may be able to recover items that seem to be beyond repair.

4. Removing Smoke Odors and Soot

At this stage, removing harmful smoke and soot is a priority to avoid long-term damage. Wear protective equipment such as respirators, goggles, and gloves when you’re in your home after a fire. Seal air vents during cleanup to avoid spreading smoke odors throughout your home. Trained restoration companies have the right equipment and techniques to remove soot and smoke odors permanently. Fabrics may need to be professionally cleaned. Restoration professionals use specialized cleaning tools that destroy odors at the molecular level for complete deodorization rather than covering them up.

Contact Professionals For Fire Restoration 

After assessing the extent of damage, it’s time to get a handle on the bigger picture: stabilizing your living environment. While minor cleaning might be something you can handle yourself, professional intervention is necessary for fully restoring a home damaged by fire.

Hire a Fire Damage Restoration Company 

Once you’re ready to begin repairs, hiring a professional restoration company is the best choice to improve your results. Expert technicians can thoroughly assess fire damage, finding hidden issues like compromised structures or water intrusion that homeowners don’t usually see. They use industrial-grade equipment for water extraction, smoke removal, and deodorization. So, if you want to safely remove damaged materials, clean salvageable items, and avoid secondary issues like mold, it’s time to hire professionals.

Contact Your Insurance Company 

With professional help in place, the next important step is to make sure your insurance coverage is working for you. Follow these steps when working with your insurer:

Initiate the Claim Process

Call your insurance company as soon as possible after the fire to initiate the claims process. Most insurers provide multiple reporting alternatives to help you document damage carefully. Provide accurate details of the incident, as this forms the foundation of your claim. Your insurer will send an adjuster to evaluate the damage, review your documentation, and determine covered losses based on your policy.

Understand Your Coverage 

Reviewing your policy helps you form realistic expectations about your next steps. Check your coverage limits for dwelling repairs, personal property damage, and temporary living expenses. Find out whether your policy provides actual cash value or just replacement cost coverage for items. Learn about any exclusions or conditions that might affect your claim. If policy terminologies confuse you, ask your insurance representative for clarification before making major restoration decisions.

Emotional and Psychological Recovery

The emotional impact of losing your home and possessions to fire can be the toughest part of recovery. Here are some ways to look after yourself and your family.

Cope With Trauma and Loss 

When you experience a house fire, it can trigger intense emotional responses that shouldn’t be bottled up. Feelings of grief, shock, and anxiety are normal reactions, especially regarding damage to your home or the loss of sentimental items. It’s important to establish healthy habits like getting adequate sleep, a good diet, and physical exercise to ensure emotional stability. It may be helpful to see a mental health professional to deal with any lingering anxiety or post-traumatic stress.

Find Support Systems 

If you and your family are still finding it difficult to cope and recover from the incident, talk about it with trusted family members and friends who can give you emotional support during times of need. Consider joining support groups for fire survivors. Seek professional counseling if you experience persistent trauma symptoms like flashbacks or severe anxiety.

Rebuilding and Moving Forward

During this phase, it’s time to consult with professionals to rebuild and restore your home. Here are some important steps to start the rebuilding process and create a safer home for the future.

1. Work with Contractors

How successful your home’s restoration is depends largely on getting the right contractor. Your renovation plan should include addressing structural issues first before advancing to cosmetic repairs. Research several contractors and ask for detailed quotes before choosing a service provider.

2. Replace Lost Documents

If you’ve lost any personal documents, then recovering them should also be on your list. Your top priority list should be identification, property deeds, birth certificates, and insurance policies that allow access to necessary services. Each government agency has its own set of requirements for replacement, so direct communication with these agencies will determine the precise process for each document.

3. Fireproof for the Future 

The rebuilding process could be an opportunity to include fire-resistant components in your home’s design. New building materials can improve your home’s fire resistance without compromising on aesthetics or comfort. Fire-resistant drywall, insulation, and roofing materials all contribute to making your home safer.

4. Install Smoke Detectors

Early warning systems are needed to prevent another fire. Smoke detectors provide increased protection if they are installed on each floor of your home. Regularly testing smoke detectors to make sure they are working can improve the safety of your home.

5. Fire Safety Practices

Your evacuation plan should identify multiple escape routes from each room and decide on a meeting point outside the home. Regular practice drills prepare family members to respond immediately when there’s a sudden fire instead of struggling to evacuate in an actual emergency. Keep fire extinguishers accessible in high-risk areas like the kitchen.

Legal and Financial Considerations 

As part of the aftermath of a fire, you’ll have to deal with several important legal and financial matters. The details provided below will help you tackle these complex aspects of fire reconstruction and protect your interests in advance.

Understanding Liability and Legal Rights 

You must cooperate with insurance adjusters to help identify the source of the fire and resolve your claim faster. If you are a tenant, you must notify your landlords quickly and report all the losses. Professional legal counsel becomes especially valuable for handling difficult insurance claims.

Managing Financial Recovery 

Having a proper financial recovery plan is also very important while managing huge expenses following a house fire. First, use emergency funds to pay for immediate needs since insurance payments might take weeks or months to pay out in full. Contact your mortgage company and credit card issuers to request short-term payment adjustments throughout your recovery period. Avoid using high-interest credit cards for recovery expenses, as this creates permanent debt. Keep detailed records of all your expenses since these can be submitted for reimbursement with your insurance company.

Key Takeaways

Recovery from a fire requires organization and proper prioritization. First, document everything for your insurance claim, then let the professionals handle fire restoration. OKC Restorations provides professional fire damage restoration throughout Oklahoma City, using specialized air scrubbers to remove harmful particles and stubborn smoke odors. Our company also handles water damage resulting from firefighting efforts with industrial dehumidifiers and fans. Call us today for a free estimate, and let us help restore your home and your peace of mind.