FIRE DAMAGE · FIRST STEPS
First steps after a home fire: safety and documentation
After a home fire, wait for the fire department’s safety direction, then make a simple record of the damage. Cleanup and repair can wait until you understand the site condition and your next contacts.
Do not enter a damaged home or apartment unless the fire department says it is safe. That is the U.S. Fire Administration’s first safety instruction after a fire. Source: U.S. Fire Administration, After the Fire.
Start with people, pets and safe housing
Follow directions from emergency officials. If you need immediate shelter, medication or support, contact the relevant emergency, relief or community service. Do not turn utilities back on, handle damaged wiring or use appliances until the proper professional says it is safe.
Document before cleanup when it is safe
When officials allow access, take photos and make an inventory of damaged areas and belongings. Keep your own notes, including the date, who gave access direction and any visible damage. The U.S. Fire Administration advises contacting your insurance company promptly and discussing what to do first. Source: U.S. Fire Administration, After the Fire.
A photo record and a contractor’s scope do not decide insurance coverage. Follow your insurer’s process and read each agreement before signing.
Separate cleanup from repair
Ask a cleanup company to identify the rooms and materials in its scope, what protection it will use for unaffected areas, how it handles contents and what it excludes. If the home needs electrical, roofing, water or structural work, ask how that handoff will be handled. Do not assume one company’s scope includes every trade.
Request written costs and decisions
The U.S. Fire Administration says to ask a cleaning or restoration company for a written cost estimate. Keep each document with the insurer correspondence and your damage record. Source: U.S. Fire Administration, After the Fire.
Before approving cleanup, ask what rooms, contents and materials are included, what the company will protect and what work needs another trade. Keep verbal updates in a dated note and request written approval for any scope change. This protects the record without making an assumption about coverage or the final repair plan.
Question: When can I start cleanup after a fire?
Answer: Start only after the fire department or other relevant authority says it is safe to enter. Then follow insurer instructions and the safety advice for the conditions in the home. Do not treat a generic checklist as clearance for electrical, structural or air-quality hazards.
When it is safe to describe the project, start a fire damage request. PickedPros is a matching service. Contractors provide their own proposals, and you decide whether to hire.