What to Do After Your House Fire

6/8/2020 (Permalink)

After a house fire, what happens next?

After a house fire, especially a serious one, you’re likely to be in a state of panic, and it can be difficult to know what to do next. Once the fire’s out and everyone’s safe, consider doing the following:

Find somewhere to stay.

If the fire was severe, there’s a good chance you might not be able to stay in your house for a while. Reach out to family and friends and see if they’re able to take you in while you figure things out. If they can’t, connect with a trusted local disaster relief agency in your area – they should be able to help you find housing until you can get back in your home.

Work with insurance.

Hopefully, you’re well-insured with an agent that you trust. You’ll want to get started on a claim ASAP. Ideally, this claim will do more than cover the damage in your home – it will also provide you with money to cover living expenses as you get back on your feet. You may need a copy of the fire report from your local fire department to get this process moving.

Secure your property.

Especially if you won’t be home for a while, you need to make sure that your home is protected from both intruders and the elements. Make sure all points of access are secured and that there aren’t any leaks caused by the fire that could lead to water damage if it rains.

Keep your family healthy – including your pets.

If you have any reason to believe that you or your family was exposed to smoke or fire, consider making a doctor’s appointment to get checked out. The same goes for your pets – they can easily fall victim to smoke inhalation or have burns that aren’t visible under the fur.

Pay attention to mental health as well. Fires are a trying time for everyone – keep up with healthy habits and take care of yourselves.

Make a financial plan.

Sit down and figure out that your finances will look like for the next few months. House fires come with all sorts of unexpected expenses, so it’s important to plan as much as you can so you know how much you can afford to pay. After all, even if your house is gutted by a fire, you still have to keep up with your mortgage.

Inventory your possessions.

Your insurance should hopefully cover any items that were destroyed in your house fire. Make an inventory of what you own, including (where possible) the date of purchase, the cost and a short description of each item. In many cases, insurance will offer the cash value of what you lost so that you can replace it.

Work with the pros to get home.

Work with your insurance, restoration and reconstruction teams to figure out when you can safely move back into your home. The sooner you can get back in your house, the sooner things can get back to some level of normal.

Still not sure what to do after your house fire? Call SERVPRO of The Southtowns at 716-646-6684 – we’re here to help!