Fire Fire! 7 Things to do After Having a House Fire

A house fire can leave you devastated and confused. No one wants to deal with a house fire, but if one strikes your home, there are a few important things you will need to do afterward to help secure your immediate future of not only yourself, but your family as well. You also want to get you and your family back on their feet as soon as possible. Check out these seven things you should do after a fire.

Call Your Family

The first thing you should do after a house fire is contact your family. You will want to make sure your loved ones know what happened and that you and yours are safe. You definitely don’t want your family to hear it through the grapevine that you had a house fire. And if you have a good and caring family, they will most likely want to help provide you with any support that they can, even if it is just as simple as moral support. The support that your family can give you is the most important and loving kind of support you can receive after something as tragic as your home burning to the ground.

Talk to the Fire Department

After you have called your family, you should talk to the fire department. They should be able to give you an indication about the cause of the fire. They should be able to tell you if the fire marshal will need to inspect the premises to help determine the cause. You want to know what caused the fire in your home and if there is anything you can do to prevent it in your future home. Experiencing one house fire is tragic and devastating enough. To do it a second time would be even more of an emotional strain.

Call Your Insurance Company

The next thing you should do after a house fire is call your insurance company. You should not touch or remove anything. The insurance company will need a report from the fire department to aid in the insurance settlement.

Contact Local Charitable Organizations

Your local Red Cross or Salvation Army will help you with immediate needs such as clothing, toiletries, and food. They also may help pay for a hotel room for your family to stay in.

Secure a Place to Stay

If you have had a house fire, unless it is very minor, you will most likely need to stay elsewhere. Local charitable organizations such as the Red Cross or Salvation Army can help you secure this or you may have family nearby that can provide shelter.

Make Arrangements for Your Pets

If you have pets that need shelter, you will need to secure that for them. Check with local kennels or friends who might be able to care for your pets for a short time.

Invest in a Storage Unit

You will need a place to store the belongings that can be salvaged. In most cases a A-1 mini storage unit will suffice. Contact local storage rental companies for prices and availability. Check with your insurance company about recommendations and requirements for coverage.

A house fire is a difficult experience that brings emotional as well as financial consequences. Knowing what to do after the flames have been doused can help you deal with the recovery — household, financial, and emotional — you will undergo.

My name is Lizzie Weakley and I am a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. I went to college at The Ohio State University where I studied communications. I enjoy the outdoors and long walks in the park with my 3-year-old husky Snowball.

Lizzie was inspired to write this article by Santa Rosa Self Storage that do A-1 mini storage units.