6 Steps To Take After a House Fire

8/20/2021 (Permalink)

Hire a professional team to help with your fire-damaged house in Colorado Springs, CO.

In the aftermath of a house fire, it's challenging to know which way to turn next. The fire has just ravaged your Colorado Springs, CO, home, so now it's time to begin rebuilding your life as quickly and efficiently as possible, from the fire restoration process to recovering your possessions.

Here are six steps to take after a house fire.

1. Protect Your Family and Pets

Immediately when everyone is safe from the fire, make sure your pets are unharmed. They'll probably be scared and may not act normally. Just remember, they don't understand what's going on. Give them love and care and reassurance, and keep them in a safe, calming area.

2. Contact Your Insurance Company

Home fire insurance policies typically require policyholders to file claims as soon as they can safely do so. First, call your insurance adjuster to report the loss and begin the claim process. Next, the insurance company will require you to list everything you lost in the fire and each item's value. You'll submit this information in a proof of loss claim.

3. Inventory Your Losses

While you're inventorying your losses, make sure you don't throw anything away. The insurance adjuster may want to see it and photograph it as proof of loss before fire restoration begins. You can also be proactive and list your property and its value in case such a disaster occurs. Take pictures of different rooms of your home showing the contents. Doing it beforehand will ease some stress after a disaster.

4. Reach Out for Help

Contact a local disaster relief agency, such as the American Red Cross, if you need temporary housing or other essentials, such as food and clothes. Most homeowners' policies will also provide a certain amount of money for living expenses if you can't occupy your home. Friends, family, and local churches are often happy to help with whatever is needed, such as donating household items or childcare.

5. Secure Your Home

The insurance company requires policyholders to take reasonable actions to protect their property after a loss to protect it from further damage. Mitigating damage after a fire could include tarping the roof, boarding up windows, or installing a temporary security fence. It could also mean moving undamaged items to unaffected areas to keep them out of harm's way. The insurance company probably won't pay for secondary damage that could've been avoided, so it's essential to do as much as possible to minimize the damage.

6. Schedule Professional Restoration

Professional restoration must be performed on a fire-damaged house. Fire damage restoration professionals have years of expertise and industrial-grade equipment for making sure the job is performed properly and as quickly as possible to prevent more damage. From soot and smoke cleaning to odor removal, water extraction, and mold mitigation, they'll return your home to code as soon as possible. They'll also do a thorough inspection to ensure all problems have been addressed.

Fire restoration must begin as quickly as possible after a house fire to mitigate any additional damage and return your life to normal. Proactively familiarizing yourself and your family with the process before a disaster occurs can prove to be advantageous should the worst happen.