Five Fire Damage Recovery Tips

7/8/2020 (Permalink)

Five Fire Damage Recovery Tips

After a fire in home or fire in business strikes, many people are unsure what to do about the fire damage. The five tips below can serve as a guide for people who have recently suffered fire damage:

1. Don't Turn On Utilities That Have Been Shut Off

Examine the building before moving back in after a fire in home or fire in business. In many cases, the fire department shuts off utilities during a fire. This is for safety reasons. Therefore, never attempt to turn the utilities back on until you have been cleared to do so by the fire department or the utility company. Turning the utilities back on before then could result in further damage to the home.

2. Working Out How To Finance Fire Cleanup

For individuals who have home insurance, fire damage will likely be covered. It's usually very easy to contact an insurance company during an emergency situation. For those without home insurance, financing fire cleanup is a bit more complex. However, there are still ways to finance fire cleanup. Here are some ways to finance fire cleanup without home insurance:

- Get in touch with the Salvation Army. Other religious organizations in your area may be able to provide assistance.
- The American Red Cross may be able to provide assistance under certain circumstances.
- The public health department may be able to provide a certain amount of assistance. Contact the public health department for more detailed advice.
- Municipal and state emergency services may be able to help.

3. Report Important Financial Information

If a credit card was destroyed in the fire or from smoke damage, it's essential to get a replacement right away. To do this, report the damaged credit card to the creditor.

Keep track of receipts for services that are used for repairing the fire damage. This can often be deducted on tax returns. In addition, the insurance company will ask for this information.

It's also essential to report damaged social security and Medicare cards. It is essential to thoroughly take inventory of anything that was lost in the fire. In cases of commercial fire damage, there are likely to be many business records that need to be replaced.

4. Find The Right Company For Restoration

In most regions, there are many fire damage restoration services to choose from. Here are some ways to pick the right company:

- Do an online search for fire damage restoration companies in the area. Then, examine each company's reviews and years of experience.
- Ask the insurance company what fire damage restoration companies in the region are best. They often will be able to provide a full list of what companies are reputable.
- For commercial fire damage, it is essential to find a company that specializes in commercial fire damage.
- Check to see if the company will be able to take steps to reduce the smoke smell.

5. Get To Work On The Smoke Damage

If there is a significant delay before fire damage restoration professionals arrive, it's essential to get to work on the soot damage and smoke smell. As the soot settles, serious soot damage is likely to occur from a fire in home or fire in business. The best way to prevent the soot damage is to remove it quickly. Here are some ways to do this:

- Wash the exterior of the house with a hose.
- Use a HEPA filter to get the tiny particles of soot out of the air. This is a highly effective way to prevent further smoke damage.
- Clean all floors with a vacuum.
- Promptly launder any clothing that was in the home at the time of the fire.
- Use deodorizers to reduce any lingering smoke smell after the damage from a fire in home or fire in business has been repaired. This is often especially important in cases of commercial fire damage. A smoke smell is likely to be quite off putting to customers.

Here is a link where you can learn more about steps to take for the removal soot damage and other forms of smoke damage: http://www.SERVPRObradleycounty.com