Date: June 17, 2019
It is difficult to move on after your house has been brought down by a fire. The steps you take in the aftermath of a house fire are necessary to prevent any future harm. Knowing what to do and who can provide the help you need is the most important action to take after this daunting experience. This blog will provide you with advice, actions to take and services that are available to you shortly after experiencing a house fire.
Immediately the fire has been put out, the first people to reach out to are the police and fire authorities. Do not attempt to extinguish any fire that may still be burning. Let the authorities handle that. You will need to provide important information for the police to make a fire report. This report will discuss things like the time and date of the incident, the condition that your house was in and the area(s) that were involved in the fire. These specifics would help to determine the cause of the incident and prevent fires in the future.
After the fire is put out, make sure that your house is now safe to stay and enter. Check the roofs, floors and walls of the building and make sure they cannot cause any harm to you. You may throw away any drink, food or medicine that you meet after the fire. They may already have been contaminated by soot or ashes. The fire authorities are the best people to permit you to enter your house. Do not enter the building until it has been declared safe to do so. Also, make sure that the authorities inform the building control officers while public access to the building is restricted. Your safety is more important than the property or building that was consumed by the fire.
After the authorities have finished inspecting your house, make sure to secure your property. Your insurance company will expect you to do so. Remove your valuables and close the windows and doors in the house. Council tenants can contact their council to help board the windows if it is necessary to do so. Other tenants can easily call a glazier from their phone directory. Even though the area may be restricted to public access, tell the fire authorities of the changes you have made to your belongings.
Insurance is like “a light at the end of the tunnel” after a house fire. You should contact your insurance company to let them know of the disaster. Try to look for the receipts you use to insure your house if they have not been consumed by the fire. However, only enter the building when it is safe to do so, and you have been permitted by the authorities. Also, let the company know if the paperwork was destroyed by the fire. They usually have records of their own that they check. You would be able to claim a few costs through home insurance. Make sure you keep all the receipts you spend in fixing up your home after the fire.
A house fire is expected to cause harm. So, at least one of your electricity, gas or home supplies will probably get disconnected or destroyed. Even if the signs of the fire on the systems are not visible to you, it is important that you contact your suppliers. Do not try to turn on or reconnect the systems by yourself. Doing so may cause another fire. A list of the names of your water, gas and electricity suppliers should be included in the local phone book.
A lot of goods and household items will be consumed by the fire. Before making plans to replace or retrieve any item, make a list of all your properties that have been damaged by the fire. Also, make a list of the properties you still have intact. This is essential as the insurance company would need these lists of items.
Papers can easily catch fire. As per normal, you may have different valuable documents in your house, so take steps to retrieve them after the fire. Replacements for your passport, divorce papers, driver’s license, birth certificates or any other record should be available on request. However, you may be charged a lot for each of the replacements of these valuable items you request for.
Fire consumes a lot of properties. You need to spend heavily to retrieve these resources back. Therefore, it is important that you plan for the costs that would be incurred in fixing your place. Let your family members know of the disaster, so they can help you in covering some of the costs if you do not have insurance. Also, reduce the services and luxuries that you previously spent a lot on. The aftermath of a fire is a time to spend money prudently.
Your house would be damaged and soiled after a fire. What you should do after a fire is to either seek professional cleaning services or fix up the place yourself. Remember that the damage done by the fire to the house may be more than what you can see. So, it is advisable that the removal of properties and cleaning of the house should be done by a professional. These professionals will assess the type and extent of the damage done to the house.
If you want to clean the place up by yourself, then there are a couple of things to know.
1. The damage done to the house may be soot, charring, ash, smoke or odour: There are many cleaning products available, but tri-sodium phosphate works well in removing soot and ash from the walls. You would need to mix this compound with water and apply on the walls with a damp cloth. A vacuum also removes residue soot and ash. A good air-freshener would chase the bad odour.
2. Furniture would be difficult to clean: Wiping and scrubbing the surfaces of rugs, curtains and carpets is tasking. If you want to keep those properties, then you should employ the services of a professional company to clean it for you. Any charred object could be thrown away.
3. You need to get rid of the water: Water is commonly used to extinguish fires in homes. If it is not removed on time, it could lead to more problems or form moulds with other materials. Have the floors mopped, and the walls wiped.
No one can forget a house fire in the blink of an eye. The experience may be disturbing and traumatic, especially if lives or properties are lost in the fire. The damage done by the fire can cause disorientation, helplessness, depression or anhedonia. You should see a counsellor and get advice about how to move on from the incident. Don’t assume that you are okay. If you have children, reassure them that things would get better. Let them know what has happened and give them hope that their valuables can be replaced.
If a fire causes a lot of damage to your properties or house, then you would need to move to a safe place. Getting a new home and leaving the consumed one is not the option many people take. Instead, most people look for emergency housing services.
Emergency housing companies like the Alternative Accommodation Agency will provide you with various temporary houses to stay in while you fix up your home. However, you should check with your insurance company if a temporary housing clause is included in your house insurance. Remember to take important things like your glasses, vital medicines and credit cards with you to your temporary location.
A3 online service is a great option you can use to get an emergency house after a fire. They have comfortable houses in many areas in the UK, and at affordable prices. You can make payments quickly, and they have the most suitable houses for different families (no matter how large).
You should not just leave your house without informing a few people of your whereabouts. Your employer, family and friends should be given your temporary address. Also, delivery services, the police and your post office should be informed of your decision to move out and be given the location of your emergency house. The local police, in particular, can keep your properties safe and monitor the renovations that would be taking place after the fire.
A house fire is a frightening experience for anyone. However, it doesn’t have to cause a major setback for you or health issues. You can rise above the damages of the fire and get most of your properties back. Following these steps would help you do so quickly.
