What to Do Following a House Fire

As the temperatures start to dip in Northern Arizona and it gets colder outside the chances of a fire or smoke damage increases in your home. Everything from heater and fireplace malfunctions, common cooking and electrical issues can ignite a fire.

Experiencing a house fire is a frightening, sickening, and very upsetting experience. In the aftermath of a fire, it is very important to know what to do to protect yourself and others from any possibility of further harm.

ServiceMaster of Prescott brings you this article will help you with key things to do and know after a fire.

1 - Ask when it is safe to enter a house or other building on the property after a fire. Do not enter a house or other building that has been affected by a fire until you have listened to the professionals telling you that is okay to do so.

2 - Recognize that if a house or building is too badly damaged, you may not be allowed back inside at all.

3 - Contact family members that may not have been with you. Let them know what happened, let them know that you're okay and let them know the information that is necessary. Don't assume that someone is going to contact your insurance. This is the number one thing that you need to do. If you are a tenant, contact the owner/landlord and/or their insurance company.

4 - Understand what happens with a "fire report". A fire report will discuss what structure the house was in, what area was involved, the time of the incident, the date of the incident and it will have an incident number if it comes through the Yavapai County fire department.

5 - Know how to get a copy of a fire report. You may be able to call the YC fire department for a copy.

6 - Secure the property. If you have not already being told to do so, it is important to secure your property to prevent possible looting. Talk to emergency services on how best to go about this. Most insurance policies require this.

7 - Consider the clean up requirements. If your house has been damaged rather than destroyed, interior clean up will be required. Keep in mind that damage to the property often goes beyond what the eye can see. (Removal of a destroyed house should only be done by professionals like ServiceMaster of Prescott.) You should spend a little time assessing whether you think you can perform the clean up. However in most cases fire damage restoration services are covered by the insurance company.



8 - Know how to handle smoke and soot damage after a fire. If you do make the decision to clean up yourself, be aware that soot and smoke damage might be significant and often creates a film on the walls. There will also be residue from the extinguishers used by the fire crew. It may be easier to contact a restoration company to handle the smoke damage.

9 - If water hoses were used to put out your fire drying your home is very important. It is best to ServiceMaster of Prescott to do the fire damage and water damage restoration at the same time. Water damage can lead to more damage or even mold if not dried properly.

10 - Seek counseling if needed and reassure children. Having your house damaged or destroyed by fire is extremely traumatic and can have lasting impacts on each family member, depending on his or her ability to cope.

If you ever suffer a house fire, we hope that these tips will help. For fire damage restoration services in Prescott, Cottonwood, and Sedona contact ServiceMaster of Prescott ASAP!