In 2018, approximately 379,600 residential fires occurred in the United States. Such fires cause widespread devastation. In addition, potential fire recovery costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Therefore, consider the following five steps for fire recovery.
Vacate the Premises
In case of a house fire, immediately vacate the premises. Dial 911. Any people or animals suffering from a resulting injury should seek medical attention immediately. In addition, families should designate an emergency location to meet in case of a fire. A point-of-contact is another valuable resource for seeking shelter in case of a fire emergency. Also, once you and your family are safely removed from the fire, inform loved ones that you are okay.
Consult a Professional
Consult a restoration company for residential fire recovery. If you live in the West Florida area, consider Expert Water Removal for your fire recovery needs. Expert Water Removal is a leading provider of smoke and fire cleanup. This includes residential clients in Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, and Charlotte County. The company employs on-call technicians 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, every call is answered within an hour. Their professional team is here to help. Expert Water Removal’s fire recovery process abides by the following steps.
- Contain the affected area
- Board-up
- Dry up all moisture
- Inventory, pack out, and clean contents
- Clean structure using appropriate solutions
- Eliminate all smoke odors
- Return the contents
- Tour the property and ensure owner satisfaction
Talk to Your Insurance Agent
After a fire, call your insurance agent as soon as possible. Insurance agents are experienced in handling property emergencies. They help navigate difficulties on your behalf. Therefore, they are best suited to make sure that your recovery plan is tailored to your unique needs. For your convenience, Expert Water Removal services are approved by all insurance companies. In addition, they are directly billed to your insurance company.
Secure the Area
Suffering a fire is difficult enough. However, fires are high-visibility incidents. Unfortunately, a house recovering from a fire can generate public attention. This can put property at risk. Therefore, it’s important to lessen the likelihood of a break-in. However, this requires closing off any of your home’s open and exposed areas. Investing in a low-cost surveillance system can help families stay secure. This prevents onlookers or looters planning to take advantage of a home’s vulnerable state.
Install Smoke Alarms
Protect your home by installing fire-resistant features. This promotes emergency preparedness. In addition, it allows for early fire detection. Overall, proactive emergency preparedness measures protect your home against additional fire damage. Specifically consider hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms with battery back-up. Install these alarms on each floor of your home. This is especially important outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom.
Contact Expert Water Removal
Fires are devastating for homeowners. In the event of a fire, your steps to fire recovery are clear. First, vacate the premises, consult a professional, and talk to your insurance agent. Next, secure the area and install smoke alarms. Fire recovery is difficult, but possible. Contact Expert Water Removal to oversee all of your fire recovery emergencies.
