The First 48 Hours After a House Fire

Wait for the Fire Department to Clear the Building

A fire that looks out can still be burning inside walls, attics and floor cavities. Firefighters check for hidden hot spots with thermal cameras, and they may return hours later if something flares up. Do not go back inside until the fire department tells you the building is safe to enter. If they say you can go in for a few minutes to grab medicine or documents, go with a firefighter or a family member, and get out if you hear cracking or see sagging.

Before you leave the scene, ask the officer in charge a few simple questions.

• Is it safe to enter, and which rooms should I stay out of?
• Were the gas, electric or water shut off, and by whom?
• How do I get a copy of the fire report? Your insurer will ask for it.
• Is the building going to be posted as unsafe by the building department?

If the city or county posts a red or yellow placard on the door, read it and follow it. A red placard means no one enters. A yellow placard usually means limited entry for specific purposes. Structural damage is not always visible, and a burned floor joist can fail under one person’s weight.

Call Your Insurer and Start a Claim the Same Day

Call your insurance company or agent as soon as you are safe. Write down the claim number, the adjuster’s name and phone number, and the date and time of every call. Ask these questions on the first call.

• Do I have additional living expense coverage, sometimes called loss of use, and what is the daily limit? This pays for a hotel, meals above your normal food costs and other extra costs while you cannot live at home.
• Do you want to inspect before any cleanup or board-up starts?
• Will you pay for emergency board-up, tarping and water removal to prevent more damage?
• Can I get an advance on living expenses today?

Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, such as covering broken windows and a burned roof. Keep every receipt, even for small things like a toothbrush or a phone charger. Renters should call their renters insurer for their belongings and living costs. The landlord’s policy covers the building, not your things.

Also call your mortgage lender. Insurance checks for the building are often made out to both you and the lender, and they will have their own process for releasing the money.

Leave the Utilities Off

Firefighters often shut off gas and power, and the utility may pull the electric meter. Do not turn anything back on yourself. Heat can melt wire insulation inside walls you cannot see, and water from the hoses may have reached outlets, the panel and appliances. Turning the power back on can start a second fire or shock someone.

• Electric. A licensed electrician should inspect the system. In many places the utility will not reconnect until an electrician, and sometimes a building inspector, signs off.
• Gas. Only the gas utility or a licensed plumber should turn gas back on and relight pilot lights.
• Water. If pipes burned or froze while the heat was off, leave the main off until a plumber checks them.

If you smell gas at any point, leave the building, do not flip any switch or use a lighter, and call the gas utility from a safe distance.

Secure the Property Against Weather and Theft

A burned home with open windows and a hole in the roof is exposed to rain, animals and thieves. Board-up and tarping are usually covered by insurance as emergency mitigation, and most fire restoration companies offer them around the clock.

• Cover broken windows and doors with plywood, at least 1/2 inch thick, screwed to the frame.
• Have a pro tarp any roof opening. A fire weakened roof is not a safe place to walk.
• Take valuables, cash, jewelry, firearms, medicine and important papers with you if you are allowed in to get them.
• Tell local police the home is vacant so patrols can watch it.
• Stop mail delivery or forward it to your temporary address.

If it is cold, ask the restoration company about draining the plumbing so pipes do not freeze and add water damage to fire damage.

Document Everything Before Anything Moves

Your photos and video are the backbone of the claim. Photograph and film every room before you clean, move or throw away anything, including rooms that look untouched, because smoke travels through the whole house.

1. Stand in each doorway and film a slow circle around the room, then the ceiling and floor.
2. Open closets, cabinets and drawers and film the contents.
3. Take close-ups of damaged items with labels, model numbers and serial numbers.
4. Photograph soot lines on walls, melted fixtures, and water stains from the hoses.

Do not throw away damaged items until the adjuster has seen them or tells you in writing that photos are enough. Start a written inventory room by room. List the item, where you bought it, roughly when, and what it would cost to replace today. Old bank and card statements, online order history and photos from family events can help you rebuild the list.

Food, Medicine and Personal Items

Heat, smoke, fumes and the chemicals used to fight fires can make food and medicine unsafe even when they look fine. Follow food safety guidance and be strict.

A fridge that held smoke inside often cannot be deodorized and may need replacing. Take photos before you discard anything for the claim. Replace smoke exposed cosmetics, baby bottles and pacifiers.

What Not to Clean Yourself

The instinct to start scrubbing is strong, but the wrong move can set stains for good. Do not wipe soot with a wet rag or household cleaner. Water and soap push soot deeper into paint, drywall and fabric and smear it into gray streaks that are much harder to remove. Soot is also acidic and can etch metal, glass and stone within days, which is one reason fast professional cleaning matters.

• Do not run the furnace or air conditioner. It will spread soot to every room.
• Do not use electronics, TVs or computers that were exposed to heat, smoke or water until they are checked.
• Do not wash smoke damaged clothes in hot water or put them in a dryer until you know the cleaning plan, because heat can set odor and stains.
• Do not have smoky upholstery or rugs shampooed yet.
• Do not paint over soot or smoke stains. The odor bleeds through.

What you can do safely, with the adjuster’s okay, is open windows for fresh air if the weather allows, and gently bag clean clothes and papers from untouched rooms.

Find a Place to Stay and Get Help

Most families cannot stay in the home for weeks or months after even a moderate fire. If you need somewhere to sleep tonight, the local Red Cross chapter often responds to home fires with emergency lodging, food and basic supplies, and the fire department can usually connect you. Your additional living expense coverage can then pay for a hotel or short term rental.

Keep a folder, paper or digital, for every document from here on. That includes the fire report, the claim number, receipts, the adjuster’s letters and your inventory. Children often feel unsettled after a fire. A familiar blanket, a routine and simple honest answers help. If anyone was burned, breathed in heavy smoke, or has a cough, chest pain or trouble breathing that does not go away, see a doctor.

Step by Step

1. Get Everyone Out and Accounted For

   Make sure every person and pet is out and safe. Tell firefighters right away if anyone is missing. Do not go back inside for anything.

2. Wait for Clearance

   Stay out until the fire department tells you the building is safe to enter. Ask which rooms to avoid and whether the utilities were shut off.

3. Ask for the Fire Report

   Ask the officer in charge how to request the fire incident report. Your insurer will need it, and it can take several days to be ready.

4. Call Your Insurer

   Start the claim, write down the claim number and adjuster’s contact details, and ask about additional living expenses and an advance. Renters call their renters insurer.

5. Secure the Home

   Arrange board-up of broken windows and doors and a tarp over any roof opening. Save every receipt for reimbursement.

6. Film Every Room

   Before anything is moved or cleaned, record each room, closet and cabinet on video and take close-ups of damaged items with serial numbers.

7. Take Out Valuables and Medicine

   If you are cleared for a short entry, collect medicine, IDs, cash, jewelry, firearms and key documents. Wear a respirator and gloves.

8. Throw Out Unsafe Food and Medicine

   Photograph, then discard exposed food, heat damaged cans and smoke exposed medicine. Ask your pharmacist about refills.

9. Leave Utilities and HVAC Off

   Do not turn on gas, electric or the heating and cooling system. Wait for a licensed electrician, plumber or the utility.

10. Get Restoration Estimates

    Have a fire restoration company assess soot, smoke and water damage. Share their scope with your adjuster before major work starts.

Mistakes That Make It Worse

• Going back in before the fire department clears the building. Hidden fire and weakened floors injure people after the flames are out.
• Wiping soot with a wet cloth. It smears soot deeper and can turn a cleanable wall into one that must be sealed and repainted.
• Running the furnace or AC to clear the smoke. It pulls soot into the ducts and spreads it to every room.
• Throwing away damaged things before the adjuster documents them. Without proof, those items are hard to claim.
• Signing the first contract a stranger hands you at the curb. Read what you sign and confirm it with your insurer.
• Turning the power back on to check if things work. Heat damaged wiring can start a second fire.

Where You Live Matters