Helpful Tips

After a fire it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are some tips.

Immediate Steps to Take

  1. Find a safe place to stay

  2. Let friends and family know you’re safe

  3. Don’t ignore health issues; call 911 or seek medical attention if aid is needed

  4. Stay out of fire-damaged areas until local authorities say it’s safe. Smoldering areas can release toxic gases that can cause serious health problems down the line.

  5. Contact your insurance immediately

  6. If you rent, call your landlord

  7. Help pets to ensure they have food and water too

Returning Home

  1. Mentally prepare (seeing the destruction can take a toll, but you will get through this and we’re here to help)

  2. Wait until local authorities say it’s safe to return (large-scale debris can be dangerous even if the fire is gone)

  3. Even if your home did not burn, it may have been damaged by smoke or water from fire fighting efforts. Firefighters may have had to break windows or cut holes in the roof to slow the fire’s growth.

  4. Do not touch anything. The soot can make you sick.

  5. Take pictures & video (these will help you down the road).

  6. If your property was not destroyed, please be cautious and discard any perishable food as it was likely exposed to heat, smoke and soot

Finances

  1. Get in touch with your landlord or mortgage lender.

  2. Contact your credit card company to report credit cards that were lost in the fire.

  3. Save all receipts for any money you spend. These receipts may be needed later by the insurance company or for any claims you pursue. You can also take pictures of them with your phone and save them to a folder in your iPhone Albums.

  4. Organize a timeline of any major bills that need to be paid in the next 2 weeks.

  5. If you have burnt money, handle it as little as possible. Place it in a Ziploc bag. You can take it to your regional Federal Reserve Bank (or the nearest bank) for replacement. You can also send it to the Treasury for replacement.

Start Replacing Valuable Documents

You may eventually need to replace important documents that were destroyed or lost in the fire. Here are some to think about:

  • Driver’s license

  • Vehicle registration

  • Titles and deeds

  • Insurance policies

  • Passports

  • Social security or Medicare cards

  • Birth, death and marriage certificates

  • Critical medical records

  • Wills and trusts

  • Income tax records

  • Citizenship papers

  • Credit cards

Things to Write Down

It’s easy for the recovery process to get chaotic and to lose track of important information. Here are some key things to note now because you’ll need this information later:

  1. Insurance Company

  2. Insurance Policy Number

  3. Date/Time of Evacuation

  4. Appx. Date/Time of Fire For Your Property

  5. Vehicle identification numbers (VIN) for any cars, trucks or motorcycles that were destroyed

  6. Date/Time of Return Home