After A Fire

There is nothing more terrifying than waking up in the middle of the night to the shrilling beep of a smoke detector. You may experience several emotions as you either put out a small fire or evacuate to a safe location. Disorientation, disbelief, panic and fear, and anger are a few of the emotions that may bombard you. Fire and smoke damage won’t let you take the time to process the stressful event and will continue to wreak havoc even after the fire has been put out. In fact, water damage from those efforts will join the chaos causing even more damage to your property and belongings. That is why it is important to act quickly after the fire has been safely put out.

First and foremost, if the fire department was required to put out the fire, get permission for the fire marshal before you re-enter your home. The amount of time it takes to get approval to enter your home greatly depends on the severity of the fire and processes used to extinguish said fire.

The next step you will want to take is calling a local fire damage cleanup and repair company, like Alert Disaster Restoration. You don’t want to tackle the cleanup and repair of your property after a fire disaster on your own. The task can be daunting and almost impossible if you don’t have the experience and know-how needed to properly and safely clean and restore your home.

Here are a few things to remember while you wait for the professionals to arrive.

 You may be anxious to start the cleaning and repair process but you may want to refrain from cleaning up any damage on your own. The professionals will assess all the damage and document their findings. This will help prevent any confusion or discrepancies when filing an insurance claim.

Do not attempt to clean carpets, furniture, draperies, or any other household textile. You may end up causing additional damage to the fibers and fabric that can be irreparable. Smoke damaged belongings require specialized cleaning to prevent additional damage. Not to mention you can endanger your wellbeing by stirring up soot and other residue that can affect your respiratory system.

Avoid rooms with the most fire damage. Even if you were given permission to re-enter your home avoid walking around or moving items in fire damaged rooms. The structure of your home can be more unstable than you realize. Remember safety first!

Ways to prevent fire damage disasters

There are also a few ways you can prevent future house fires from occurring. Be sure to keep the following in mind:

• Maintain your smoke detectors. Most of us have experienced the annoyance of smoke detectors going off when we are cooking. The best and safest way to avoid this is not to disable them but to update the smoke alarm you use in your kitchen. Some of the newer smoke detectors have dual sensors to reduce the amount of false positive alarms.
• If you have a furnace, chimney, fireplace, or heating system schedule regular cleanings to prevent buildup and potential fire hazards.
• Avoid overloading outlets and extension cords.
• However tempting, do not leave the kitchen when you are using the stove or grill to cook. Especially when cooking with oil or grease.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended. You would be surprised at how many families have lost their homes to a fire that started with a single lit candle.

For more fire prevention and safety tips contact the professionals at Alert Disaster Restoration. If you have a fire damage emergency contact us as soon as possible. Our fire damage cleanup team is available 24/7.  (661) 396-7908