How to Handle Fire Damage to Your Home | SERVPRO® of Alamo Heights

6/9/2020 (Permalink)

If your home is damaged in a house fire, SERVPRO of Alamo Heights is here to help. Contact us for any fire restoration needs.

Experiencing a house fire is a devastating life event that can derail your plans. Even if the fire is extinguished quickly, it can still cause severe damage and emotional trauma for you and everyone in your household.

Proper handling of the aftermath can go a long way in helping you recover quickly and have your home restored—here are the steps to take to ensure you are doing so:

Steps to Take After Sustaining Household Fire Damage

Prepare yourself for what to expect. The damage that fires cause can be alarming to see firsthand. Firefighters will often have to break windows or cut holes in the roof or walls, and many items that were not near the fire may still be damaged by smoke and soot. There also may be widespread water damage from how the fire was extinguished.

Wait to enter your home. Even if everything looks safe, it is important to only reenter your home after fire officials have deemed it safe to do so. Fires can cause hidden structural damage that could make the area hazardous, and a secondary combustion event is a possibility in some cases as well. It is better to be safe and wait for the go-ahead than to put yourself in harm’s way.

Contact your insurance company. Once you assess the damage that has been done, get in touch with your insurance company in order to learn the extent of your coverage and begin the claims process. All insurance policies are different, so it is important to not do anything until you speak with them about what next steps to take.

Document the damages. Taking photographs and a detailed inventory of everything that is damaged will come in handy both for you and your insurance company. Having documentation of what is damaged will help when filing a claim and will also help you keep track of what items you will need to replace to return to a sense of normalcy.

Contact your restoration company. Working with a reputable restoration company after a fire is a great way to alleviate some of the stress your family is experiencing and gain peace of mind. The aftermath of a house fire can be emotionally draining, so dealing with a company you can trust will do a great deal to reduce the overall stress levels involved in the process of recovery.

If your home is damaged in a house fire, you can count on us to help you. Get in touch at any hour for a quick response.