Nobody wants to experience the devastation and trauma that a home fire can cause. However, things happen, despite how hard we may try to ensure that our property is safe. American Restoration Water & Fire knows home fires are never a pleasant thing to think about, but it’s good to know what to do in the event of an emergency. Prepare yourself now, before disaster strikes.
Assuming you’ve already safely evacuated called 911 for firefighters, here are the next steps you should take in the event of a home fire:
Assess your situation. Is anyone injured? Are there any pets left inside? What belongings do you have on you? Take some time to gather your composure and make sure all family members are safe. At this point, firefighters are on the scene. Do not, for any reason, attempt to re-enter your home until the fire department clears your home. If there’s something valuable in your home that you would like retrieved, let a firefighter know.
When a fire burns plastics and fabric items in your home, carbon monoxide, cyanide gas, and other gas emissions are released into the air, making re-entry into your home extremely dangerous. Another danger lies in the structural damage a fire can do to your home. Roofing can fall, walls can tip over, and flooring can collapse beneath you if you re-enter your home. So, wait until the firefighters release the scene.
Since you likely can’t re-enter your home, you’re going to need to find a place to stay. We’d recommend staying with a friend, relative, neighbor or at a hotel until the damage can be assessed. We strongly advise staying away from the property for safety reasons – even if the flames are doused – until the property is secured and you’ve been given permission to re-enter the property.
The next step should be contacting American Restoration Water & Fire. to begin the process of restoring your home. Our team of professionals will arrive quickly, assess the situation, help you gather salvageable items and create a plan to restore and, if necessary, reconstruct the damaged property. We’ll work with your insurance agent to help file a claim and restore any fire-damaged home to pre-loss condition. Our goal is to make a stressful situation more manageable for you. Contact us today for more information.
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