House fires can come quickly and come with many emotions following the initial panic. The fire may have damaged your home or valuable possessions that will need to be replaced. After the fire has been put out, homeowners may not know what steps to take next to protect themselves and their homes. After a fire, you may not want to think about dealing with police or insurance, but they are necessary to save you stress later. Liberty Restoration can help restore your home after a fire or other disaster, with clear communication and our restoration services to help you feel safe in your home again.
1- Check If Your Home Is Safe
After a fire, the fire department will help put out the fire and let you know when the home is safe to enter. This might take a day or two to clear out the smoke, and soot, or is damaged the structure so that it is clear enough for you to safely walkthrough. Entering your damaged home can bring up complex emotions and can be hard to deal with. Looking through your home can help you know what items need to be replaced and can help you learn what the costs will be to repair the damage.
2- Talk To Your Insurance
After your house has been cleared to enter, you should talk to your insurance and begin the insurance claim process. Many insurance plans will help to cover certain costs, but not all of them. Filing a claim with your insurance will help you to save money and protect your home investment.
The insurance agent should be able to talk you through emergency lodging and living expenses. They can also help talk you through the next steps and put you in touch with a restoration company.
3- Check In With Family And Find Support
You will have already made sure that the family that lives with you is safe, but checking in with other family members to let them know that all of you are ok and safely staying somewhere is another important step after a fire.
Losing your safe space to a fire can be devastating. If you or others in your home are struggling, you can find support groups and other peers who have gone through the same thing. This can help give you advice on how to move forward, recommendations for restoration companies, and just a shoulder to lean on while rebuilding your home.
4- Call Utility Providers
Besides calling your insurance company, you will need to speak with your electric, gas, and water providers to let them know about the fire. They will be able to help you shut off your services for a time and the fire marshall will let you know when you can turn back on the utilities after a fire.
Electrical or gas fires can often occur in homes. If this was true in your case, the electrical or gas company will work with the fire department to determine who needs to cover damages or how you can improve this work in your home for the future.
5- Remove Salvageable Possessions
If there are electronics, furniture, or other locked-up valuables that are salvageable, you will need to remove them from the home to be cleaned or restored after a fire. Documents like birth certificates, social security cards, or other important documents and bills should be put in a new safe space or in storage.
Taking furniture to a professional cleaner after a fire can help remove any stench or stains that may have occurred from the fire. If the furniture is able to be salvaged, having it cleaned quickly will yield the best results.
6- Contact A Fire Damage Restoration Expert
Liberty Restoration works with homes that have been damaged by fire, water, and sewage. After a house fire, we can come in and help remove the smell of smoke, clean soot or burned walls and flooring, and get you back into your home as quickly as possible. Contacting us sooner rather than later helps us to get started on your construction and restoration quickly. Getting back to your home is important to our team, so we work efficiently and include you in the process of restoring your home.
7- Document What Needs To Be Replaced
Taking photos of the damage to show to your insurance can help you get the most money for your home. Documenting the scene will also save you time from returning to the scene over and over again to look at what furniture or appliances you need to purchase. Notes will help with any reports needed for the police or insurance so that you are always clear on what was truly ruined.
Restoring A Home After A Fire With Liberty Restoration
As a locally owned and operated Utah company, Liberty Restoration is ready to help get your home back to full functionality. We clean more than just visible damage and repair any damage that we may find. No matter what damage you have experienced, our team is the expert to trust.