How to Recuperate After a Fire in Your Home

In the United States, a home fire occurs almost every 87 seconds. If your home is one of them, you may have a long road ahead of you putting the pieces back together. Here are some ways you can begin to recuperate after a fire in your Ormond Beach, FL, home.

Immediate Steps to Take

The first few hours after a fire can be extremely chaotic. Your first step is to make sure that you or anyone in your family, including your pets, who requires medical treatment receives it. You will want to let your extended family and friends know that you are safe before they begin hearing any news of the fire and begin to worry. Next, you should contact your insurance company to get the claims process going. Your next call should be to ServiceMaster Professional Services to start the cleanup and restoration processes that will reduce and prevent secondary damage.

After You Have Been Given the Okay to Reenter Your Home

You may or may not be given the okay to reenter your home after a fire by your local fire authority. This will depend on how much structural damage has occurred. If you can reenter, you may want to make temporary arrangements for your children and pets to stay elsewhere as you begin the cleanup process. Be aware that your children, elderly family members, and pets could be experiencing some emotional trauma, so you will want them to be watched closely.

Once inside your home:

• Do not turn your utilities back on if the firefighters have turned them off until you have received permission to do so.
• Take photos to document the damage for your insurer, if an insurance adjuster has not been immediately sent out.
• Begin taking inventory of items that are lost or damaged by fire.
• Throw out any food that has been exposed to smoke, soot, or heat.
• Remove your valuables from your home and store them in a safe place.
• Consider renting a storage space.

Beginning the Restoration Process

Depending on the damage to your home, we suggest you consider arranging temporary lodging while it is being cleaned and restored. This is usually covered under your insurance as well as the cleaning and restoration processes that ServiceMaster Professional Services provides Ormond Beach, FL, area residents. We respond and start your recovery process within one to four hours after your call. Therefore, after a home fire, make sure to call us day or night, as soon as it is safe to do so.

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