James Cummings is the general manager of Servpro of Ahwatukee & South Tempe in Arizona, a branch of Servpro, the national fire and water cleanup and restoration company. Here, he explains what you should do after your home has suffered a fire and before the fire cleanup and restoration company has arrived.
What you should do after a fire:
- Open all doors and windows if possible.
- Contact your insurance company immediately. This will help make sure that you get the proper documentation, and they will be able to explain to you the emergency lodging and living expenses coverage of your policy. Remember to retain all receipts to make a claim later.
What you should not do after a fire:
- Do not enter a house or other building that has been affected by a fire until you have been told by professionals that it is permissible to do so.
- Do not remove anything from the home until the fire department has authorized you to do so. Disturbing the site could interfere with fire investigation.
- Do not attempt to go through your belongings until professionals have arrived to clear the smoke, soot, and contaminants.
- Do not attempt to wash walls or painted surfaces, or shampoo carpet or upholstery, without contacting your Servpro professional.
- Do not attempt to clean any electrical appliances that may have been close to fire, heat, or water without consulting an authorized repair service.
- Do not use any canned or packaged food or beverages that may have been stored near the fire, heat, or water.
- Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet since wiring may be damaged.
- Do not send garments to an ordinary dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may set smoke odor.
What you should do until the cleanup and restoration company arrives in the event of fire and smoke damage:
- Limit movement at home to prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpets.
- Keep hands clean so as not to further soil upholstery, walls and woodwork.
- Place clean towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery, and carpet traffic areas so as not to track dirt.
- If electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator and prop doors open.
- Clean and protect chrome with light coating of petroleum jelly or oil.
- Wash house plants on both sides of leaves to eliminate soot.
- Change HVAC filter so as not to spread polluted air.
- Tape double layers of cheesecloth over air registers to test whether there’s a fire hazard.
