Immediate Steps After Fire Damage

After you have a fire in your home or your business, you might be in a bit of a shock. It can be difficult to know what to do in this uncommon situation, but the best thing to remember is that there are trained professionals to help you with every step of this process. Handing your fire damage restoration in Riverside starts and ends with a bunch of phone calls. You essentially become a specialized secretary for your residence. Here are the immediate steps you should take after a fire incident.

Call Fire Department

The absolute first call you must make after you have a fire start in your home or business is to the fire department. It is necessary to make sure you and your family members are as safe as possible in this situation. Make sure everyone evacuates if possible and call the fire department. The fire department will not allow you to go back into your home until the place has been cleared for reentry, so don’t try and go in to save some items in your home. Just remember that your life is more important than your things.

Call PRC Inc.

The very next call you should make after the fire department is on its way is to PRC Inc. to take care of your fire damage restoration needs. The reason it is so important to call a restoration company immediately is that soot is acidic and it can tarnish appliances, hardware, and other surfaces of your home the longer it sits. Water damage is also a big issue with fire damage because of the liquid extinguishers that the firefighters use. If you have holes in your roof or broken windows, weather can also be an issue. Your home will be vulnerable to the elements and the amount of restoration needed can just get bigger and bigger the longer you wait to have a fire damage restoration company assist you.

Call Insurance

After you have things squared away with your fire damage restoration company, you will want to call your insurance and let them know who you have hired to handle the restoration of your home. They may want an estimate in the coming days and they will need a list of damages. It may take a good amount of time to figure out exactly what was lost in the fire that your insurance company can cover. Careful documentation will help you stay organized while you communicate back and forth with your insurance company. Taking pictures and writing each item in a spreadsheet are the best ways to stay organized.

Your insurance company may also pay for or reimburse a hotel stay in your area, so make sure you mention this when you talk to them on the phone.

The fire damage restoration process can be a long and emotional one. Things will be easier if you utilize all the trained professionals on this list to help you, but you would also benefit from having a close friend or family member help out until the restoration is well underway.