House Fire Recovery Checklist

Shock. Fear. Anger. Despair.

Those are four of literally thousands of emotions people feel after experiencing a house fire. It is a deeply personal loss, and often traumatizing to everyone involved. Unfortunately, after the fire, it is important to act quickly to get the rebuilding and restoration process started. This is why All Brite Cleaning & Restoration encourages everyone to have a Gilford-area restoration contractor on speed dial, in hopes that you never need their services – but just in case. It’s likely you have the information for your insurance agent nearby, so a contractor should be no different as the two work hand-in-hand to restore your property.

Here is a simple checklist to walk through when you’re ready to start picking up the pieces from the fire.

• Call a restoration company who provides fire and smoke damage restoration you trust. You do not need to wait to hear from your insurance company to get the restoration process started. Once the fire department clears and releases the scene, technicians can step in to begin drying out your home from all the water used to put out the flames, and taking care of other damage. That could mean boxing up items to be cleaned and restored, getting air scrubbers and hydroxyl machines running to start tackling smoke odors, and determining the scope of the entire project to know just how much damage there is – and what the restoration process will look like.
• Make sure you have somewhere to stay. This could mean staying with family in the area, finding a temporary apartment or rental house, or even staying in an extended stay hotel. Just like the restoration will likely be covered by your insurance policy, your temporary housing will also likely be covered. Find somewhere where you will be comfortable and feel safe! Fires are traumatic enough, and having to stay somewhere strange without many of your belongings can compact negative feelings.
• Locate vital documents. If you have a firebox in your home, and your home is safe to enter, it is a good idea to collect your vital documents as quickly as possible. If your documents were lost in the fire, make a list of documents you will need to request from various agencies over the next few weeks – like birth certificates, social security cards, wills, tax records, and so on.
• Check in with your children or other family members affected by the fire often. If you have small children and they seem to be struggling with fear after the fire, it may be a good idea to set up a few appointments with a local counselor to give them a safe place to talk about the trauma of the fire.

Knowing just those five items will greatly ease this painful process as it moves forward. And rest assured, with All Brite on your side, our well-trained and highly professional team will work with you and keep you updated throughout the restoration process. Our goal is for you to get back into your home as soon as possible, and in the end to be glad you met us, despite the circumstances.