A fire of any size, even a small one, in your home or business is a devastating event. In addition to the flames, there’s electrical, smoke, and water damage to worry about. Once the building occupants are safe and the fire is extinguished, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and at a loss for where to start. ServiceMaster of Baltimore can help you with fire restoration after a small fire to help you quickly return to a safe, comfortable space.
1. Call Your Insurance Company
The first thing you should do after the fire is out and building occupants are safe is to contact your insurance company and/or property owner to inform them of the damage and learn next steps. Most insurance companies will provide step-by-step instructions about what to do first and can inform you of the protections in your policy such as loss of use funds and replacement cost options.
ServiceMaster of Baltimore is an IICRC certified firm and works with all major insurance companies. We work with the insurance company directly so you don’t have to worry about that while you’re recovering from fire damage, no matter how small.
2. Inventory the Damage With A Professional
Once the fire department has deemed it safe to return to the damaged area, take a detailed inventory of the damage. Start with photos and videos of the damaged area and belongings, but it’s important to survey the entire property. The heat from a fire can melt plastic, damage paint, and if a sprinkler system was deployed, you might find water damage in areas that weren’t affected by flames. There is also usually damage to the electrical wires behind walls, which may require a professional assessment.
3. Know What to Clean vs. What to Throw Away
Some items are salvageable after a small fire, but others need to be disposed of for health and safety reasons. For example, you can use a power washer to clean exterior walls to remove soot and chemical fire retardants. Start from the top of the home and work down to the bottom so the residue doesn’t run over an already-cleaned area.
Upholstery and textiles that only have smoke odor or soot damage can be restored, but if they have become wet or exposed to firefighting chemicals, it’s best to throw those away. Other items to dispose of after a fire include non-perishable food, cosmetics and medications, and electronics that experienced heat or water damage.
House Fire and Smoke Damage Remediation
You don’t have to deal with fire, smoke, and water damage alone. ServiceMaster of Baltimore has become the area’s leading restoration and remediation company to help you return to normal life as quickly as possible. Call us 24/7 at (410) 498-8030 and we can mobilize a team to begin restoring your property to its pre-loss condition within hours.
