Monday, April 02, 2018

A fire in your home can be one of the scariest and most stressful incidences. Recovering afterwards can also be taxing, as the damage--both physical and emotional--can be immense. With this in mind, Rainbow International offers the following tips on fire recovery.

Take care of yourself. Find a place for you and your family to stay immediately following the fire. Your local disaster relief service can help with this, as well as provide you with food and other necessities. Don't forget to find a familiar place for your pets to stay—your cats and dogs will be frightened after the fire and will feel more at home in comfortable surroundings.

Examine your home. Talk to the firefighters to learn what can be salvaged and what's safe to use. If you are given the permission to enter your home, check first for important documents like birth certificates, social security cards and drivers' licenses. While there are some things you can do to prevent further damage to your home, such as emptying the refrigerator and freezer, always ask the firefighters present if it is safe to do so.

Make a home inventory. Make a list of all contents of your home along with items that need replacing. Take pictures of the damage, too. You will need copies for the insurance company, for your own personal records and possibly for the fire investigation authorities. Make up to five copies to have on hand just in case.

Call your insurance company. You'll probably be in contact with your insurance for a long time following the house fire, but during the first phone call, you need to alert them of the fire and ask what you should be doing to make the process go more smoothly. Generally, this includes making a list of everything that was damaged in the fire and the possible value of those items. While you're probably more concerned with how much of the damages will be your financial responsibility, it can take some time to receive an answer to this question. In the meantime, keep track of all of your receipts as proof of your losses.

Alert family. Don't forget to call family members and close friends to let them know what happened, especially if you will be moving to temporary housing. The recovery from a house fire is difficult, but you will feel better knowing that the people closest to you are aware of your situation. In most cases, they can offer both physical and emotional support to help you get back on your feet.

Turn to the professionals. Restoration is the key to rebuilding. Attempting the cleanup on your own can be dangerous due to the toxic gases and risk of smoldering ash. Fire restoration services have the proper safety equipment to get the work done without the risks. Store Rainbow International's number with your other emergency contacts, and call in the professionals to start restoring your home after a fire.  

Source: Rainbow International®

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