5 Important Things to Do After Suffering Fire Damage – What to Know
When a fire disaster befalls your property, you might find yourself in a challenging situation. Aside from taking care of yourself or your family, you will also be left to take care of a dreadful amount of tasks related to your property. However, despite the uncertainty, you still need to keep your business up and running.
To guide you during this time, we listed below five important things to do after your home or business suffers from a fire disaster.
1. Wait for clearance before packing your possessions.
Even if the fire has stopped, you still need to remain vigilant about the possible effects of fire damage. First of all, keep in mind that you should never enter the affected property without the advice of firefighters. Your property may have to undergo a proper evaluation to check if a hazard still exists. Give extra attention to your electrical wiring since any exposed live wire can spark another possible fire.
After the firefighters give their clearance, you can start packing your possessions, such as cash, credit cards, and checkbooks, and other valuables. These include accounting records, employee documents, and important insurance information.
2. Avoid moving items around.
While waiting for the proper clearance, you should avoid moving your items around. Take note that you must save all relevant information to claim reimbursement for the damage caused. It will be more beneficial for you to keep things the way it is until professionals can advise you otherwise.
3. Make sure all basic utilities are off.
As mentioned earlier, there may still be an existing hazard in terms of your house’s electrical wiring. Make sure to turn off all possible sources of electricity, as well as the gas tank or the water valve.
4. Contact your insurance company immediately.
After a case of fire damage occurs, immediately contact your insurance company. If the affected property is rented or leased, you should contact the owner’s insurance agent. The faster you start to get in contact with them, the better your chances will be in claiming reimbursements from the damage. Make sure that you check all the details of your insurance coverage. Your insurance adjuster can guide you with how the process works or how long the process will take.
5. Get a consultation from a loss assessor.
To give you a second opinion about the benefits you wish to claim from your insurance company, you can seek consultation from a loss assessor or a public adjuster. The loss assessor may present a different fair reflection compared to the insurance agent. It will give you the chance to negotiate with better terms from your insurance company.
Conclusion
Fire damage can be easily contained when adequately handled by professionals. In the same way, the fire damage after-care should also be appropriately taken care of. Don’t let the burden of fire damage overwhelm you. You can seek the aid of professionals to help you go over your tasks, such as cleaning the site and securing the required permits. Make sure that you find a company with proven experience in keeping fire damage, such as smoke and soot from spreading. With clear and effective methods for recovery and reparation, you can start rebuilding your home or business in no time.
If you’re looking for a fire damage restoration service in Wilmington NC, get in touch with us today! We’re happy to help.
