House fire can cause such destruction that your home becomes unidentifiable. Or it can be relatively minor. Either way, the situation causes you stress and many issues as you put the pieces back together.
It may be because of an accident within the house or due to some fire that has spread to your area, claiming your house as well along to its destruction. No matter the reason, it can be very stressful for you. And, the clean-up effort a serious health hazard.
Reasons for fire accidents can be numerous. There have been cases of a lightning strike hitting a structure and causing it to burst out in flames. There have been cases of wildfire spreading through dried trees and reaching residential areas. It has even been reported that the cases of house fire have increased due to the number of easily combustible household articles that are becoming mainstream.
While dealing with the fire during the accident alone can be stressful enough to cause severe headaches, the process of fire damage restoration after the mishap is even tougher. Knowing some ways to mitigate damage and getting your life back to normal will help with the post-traumatic stress if only a little.
Steps to take immediately after house fire damage
Take note of this information now, so you will know what to do in an emergency. We sincerely hope that you never need to overcome this issue firsthand!
1 – Notify your insurance company
Informing your insurance company will be of top priority when it comes to any kind of damage control. When you have a house fire, contact your insurance company immediately. This call means starts the process to claim monetary assistance as soon as possible. Some companies even assist in paying for your accommodations, if necessary.
2 – Let the professionals do their job at the scene
Losing many hard-earned things to fire can be devastating. Even if there is something very important that you need to have and is left inside, do not enter the house immediately. Let the fire department give you the okay to enter. The fire damages and weakens the walls and the ceilings. They are very unstable.
3 – Tread carefully
After the house is deemed safe to enter by the fire department workers, make sure to tread carefully while in the house and make sure to wear a mask. The soot and smoke in the air that rises due to the incomplete burning of materials, is harmful if inhaled.
4 – Identify your items destroyed by the house fire
Try to identify items that are completely damaged and cannot be restored. Such items include and are not limited to, carpets, mattresses, electrical items that are blackened out, clothes, etc.
5 – Hands off electrical devices
Exercise caution while handling electrical appliances, as some of these devices store electricity even after plugging them out. This causes a static shock when you touch them without proper safety.
6 – Use caution around wet things
A lot of things will be soggy because of the water hosed down your house for putting out the fire. Make sure to dry and dehumidify them, else they will become a house for bacteria and moss that will cause diseases if left untreated.
7 – Contact local agencies about any destroyed personal documents
You will also need to take care of your documents that were destroyed in the fire. It is better to notify the concerning authorities for replacements immediately, so the process for replacements begins. These documents include a Driver’s license, titles and deeds, passports, social security cards, citizenship papers, credit cards, and many more.
Final Thoughts on Recovering After a House Fire
Though these are the things you need to take care of after fire accidents happen. It is always better to keep in check some fire prevention methods in case something like this were to happen. Simple and important things like testing your smoke alarms regularly, using certified home appliances and wiring, and educating yourself about fire risks and safety can go a long way in saving your hard-earned money’s worth of property and mental stress during a fire accident.