So, the worst has happened. You’ve had a fire in your home and now you’re left with what remains. In cases of fire and smoke damage to your home, we always recommend enlisting a professional to handle the clean-up. Of course, when it comes to fire damage in your home, the safety of you and your family is of the utmost importance—and we want you to stay safe while we get your home back to normal. So, if the worst happens to you and you experience fire damage, here are some things to note.
- Keep yourself and your family safe and do not enter your house until the Fire Department says so.
Whether it’s from particles that adversely affect the air quality of your home or structural damage, you don’t want to enter your home until you’ve been cleared to do so. Even when you do, we don’t suggest taking cleaning into your own hands as this can cause further damage and elongate the cleaning process in the likelihood that you decide to call on a professional later.
- Call professionals as soon as possible.
Even after a fire is extinguished from your home, the damage actually still continues. That means time is of the essence in order to get things fixed. Ash is of particular concern, as it will negatively impact various surfaces and materials in your home. Metals, for example, will begin to tarnish. Any plastic materials that were near the fire will begin to yellow. Again, because of how intensive restoration can become, it is not recommended that you take matters into your own hands. Get in contact with an expert like ServiceMaster of Anchorage to start the process ASAP.
- Get insurance involved.
Once you’ve got immediate safety and clean-up contained, you’re going to want to get your home insurer on the line. We’ve written about this in the past and recognize this is one of the more difficult steps to navigate. That’s why we help you navigate an often complex and emotional process with your insurance company. Simply put, we work with you and your insurer to get the lowest possible costs.
For more safety information check out this guide from FEMA—and remember ServiceMaster of Anchorage when disaster strikes. We’re there for you throughout the entire restoration process – from insurance to immediate clean-up, to amazing end results.
