What do I do after an apartment fire?

Even if it is only a little fire, experiencing one in your house can be incredibly upsetting. After a fire has destroyed your home, it is challenging to go on. You must take action after a house fire to avoid further damage. The most important thing to do after this terrifying incident is to know what to do and who can give you the assistance you need. There are crucial steps that need to be followed to begin the recovery process after the initial emergency has passed and the fire has been extinguished.

Make a call to the police and fire departments

The police and fire authorities are contacted as soon as the fire has been extinguished. Never attempt to put out any potential fires that may still be blazing. Let the police and fire department take care of that. For the police to file a fire report, you must give crucial information. This report will go through the information, including the incident’s time and date, the state of your property, and the area(s) that caught fire. These details would make it easier to identify the incident’s cause and prevent similar fires in the future.

Make sure your home is secure

Verify that your home is secure to live in after the fire has been put out. Make sure there are no dangerous surfaces on the building’s walls, floors, or roofs that could damage you. The fire authorities can let you enter your residence. Wait until it is deemed safe to enter the building before doing so. Additionally, be sure that the authorities let the building control officers know when entry to the building is prohibited to the general public. Your safety is more crucial than the possessions or structure that the fire destroyed.

Secure your home and property

Secure your property when the authorities have completed investigating your home. Your insurance provider will anticipate that you do this. Close the house’s windows and doors after removing your belongings. If it becomes essential to board the windows, council tenants can get assistance from the local council. Other tenants can simply make a glazier appointment from their phone book. Inform the fire authorities of the modifications you have made to your possessions despite the possibility that public access to the area may be prohibited.

Find temporary accommodation

The fire brigade may likely determine that it is unhealthy for you and your family to remain in your home after a fire due to the fumes and smoke damage. Therefore, one of the first things you need to do is look for alternate housing. In some circumstances, your insurance will cover this, but if your policy does not offer this degree of protection, there are other resources you can use to find other housing.

Compile evidence

When filing an insurance claim, the most crucial element is the evidence. To demonstrate the damage’s severity, you should take pictures (and video, if possible). Save these pictures and videos as soon as you can. They can be the only evidence you have of the magnitude of your losses and the financial toll they have taken.

Call your insurance provider

Contacting your insurance provider should be your next move after you have the visual proof. If the fire hasn’t destroyed them, try looking for the invoices you use to ensure your home. However, only do so when it is secure and the authorities have given you permission. Additionally, inform the company if the fire destroyed any documents. The majority of the time, they verify their own records. After talking to them, you should better understand what will happen next, such as boarding up the doors and windows, emergency water extraction, and anything else that has to be done.

Throw away any food and drink

Food or beverages that have been smoked in or damaged by fire should not be kept or consumed. If the electricity to your freezer is cut, do not attempt to refreeze anything that has thawed. If you can, let fresh air circulate through your home by opening doors. However, don’t leave your house unattended.

Call water, gas, and electricity suppliers

Contact your provider to set up repair and reconnection if the fire damaged your water, gas, or electricity supplies or if they were cut off due to the fire. Never try to reconnect or activate the supply on your own. A local phone book, which you may get for free at a library, contains the phone numbers of the companies that provide gas, water, and electricity.

Do not turn on electrical appliances

Any electrical equipment that has been exposed to fire, smoke, or water should not be tried to be cleaned, turned on, or used. This also entails turning on the lights, mainly if the ceiling is moist. Both the appliances and the electrical wiring have been harmed due to the fire and the efforts made to put it out.

Make an inventory of your possessions

The fire will burn through a lot of items and furniture. Make an inventory of all the things that the fire has damaged on your premises before making any efforts to replace or recover them. Make a list of the assets you still own as well. This is crucial since the insurance provider will require these lists of things.

Replace Your Important Documents

Papers are easily flammable. Take action to rescue any valuable documents you may have in your home after the fire. You should be able to get replacements for your birth certificate, driver’s license, divorce papers, passport, and other records. However, you might be charged a lot for each replacement you request for these valuable documents.

Replace missing and broken items

How difficult a process this is will depend on how big the fire was and how much damage was done. Once more, your insurance provider might pay for the expense of repairing your home’s belongings and, in some situations, even arrange for you to have them replaced.
Anyone can find a house fire to be terrifying. However, it should be avoided at all costs, and as a responsible landlord, you should get a fire risk assessment from a credible company to prevent damages before it’s too late. Here at landlords checks, we provide fire risk assessment services to safeguard your property and minimize fire risk. Your safety and protection are our top priority. So get in touch with us today, and get your property fireproof.