What to do after a house fire: the first days
Stay out until the fire department says the house is safe, then call your insurance company and ask what to do first. After that, the job is to secure the property, start a record of everything, and save every receipt. The U.S. Fire Administration's recovery booklet lays out this same order.
- Wait for the all-clear. The U.S. Fire Administration says not to enter a damaged home unless the fire department says it is safe. When you do go in, be very careful: it warns that floors and walls may not be as safe as they look.
- Leave the utilities alone. The fire department checks water, electricity and gas before it leaves and has unsafe services turned off or disconnected. USFA and Ready.gov both say not to turn them back on yourself.
- Call the carrier and ask what to do first. USFA's first instruction is to contact your insurance company right away. Ask what you should do to keep the home safe until it is repaired, and who you should talk to about cleaning it up. Write down the claim number and every name you speak to.
- Secure the house. Firefighters often break windows and cut holes in the roof and walls to put the fire out. USFA notes you may need to board up windows and doors so no one can get in, and to tell the police the house will be vacant. A restoration company can board up and tarp the same day. Find a certified company.
- Photograph before anything moves. Every room, burned or not, wide shots then close-ups, including closets, cabinets and the attic hatch. The CDC advises contacting your insurer and taking pictures of the home and your belongings before you start cleanup.
- Start the receipt folder. Hotel, meals, clothes, toiletries, pet boarding, the board-up invoice. USFA says to save all receipts for money you spend related to the fire, because the insurance company may need them later. Tell your mortgage lender or landlord about the fire, too.
Why smoke damage spreads beyond the burned rooms
Smoke travels wherever air goes, so the damage map is bigger than the burn map. USFA says things not damaged by the fire may still be ruined by smoke and soaked by the water used to fight it. That is why a smoke damage claim usually covers rooms far from the fire itself.
Where it tends to show up:
- Heating and cooling ducts. The system moves air through the whole house. United Policyholders lists ducts among the places hidden damage hides and urges professional HVAC cleaning rather than a simple wipe-down.
- Inside closed spaces. Closets, cabinets, drawers and the attic collect fine residue even when the doors were shut.
- Porous materials. Upholstery, mattresses, carpet, drapes, clothing and insulation hold odor long after surfaces look clean.
- Inside the walls. Firefighters may cut holes in walls to make sure fire is not hidden there. Water from the hoses soaks framing and drywall, which then needs drying like any water loss.
- The rooms next door. Heat and smoke reach rooms the flames never did; discoloration, film on windows and odor are the signs.
What not to clean yourself
Soot is not dust. The right cleaning method depends on the surface and the residue, and the wrong one can set stains and odor that a professional could have removed. Before scrubbing, vacuuming, washing smoky clothes or running the HVAC, ask the carrier and the restoration company. United Policyholders tells fire survivors to insist on professional cleaning of soot, smoke and odor and to reject shortcuts. USFA notes there are companies that specialize in cleaning and restoring personal items, and suggests asking your insurance company for recommendations and getting any cleaning estimate in writing.
What fire restoration typically includes
Fire restoration is a sequence: secure the structure, dry out the firefighting water, clean soot and smoke from what can be saved, remove odor, pack out and clean the contents, then tear out and rebuild what cannot be saved. Not every fire needs every phase, but most need more than one.
| Phase | What happens | What it leaves in the claim file |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency board-up and tarp | Openings from the fire and the firefighters are covered to keep weather and people out. | Invoice, before-and-after photos |
| Water removal and drying | Water from the hoses is extracted; walls, floors and framing are dried and monitored. | Moisture readings, drying log |
| Soot and smoke cleaning | Surfaces are tested and cleaned with methods matched to the residue; ducts are cleaned. | Room-by-room scope, photos |
| Odor removal | Deodorization after cleaning, aimed at odor held in structure and contents. | Scope line items, equipment days |
| Contents pack-out | Belongings are inventoried, packed, cleaned off site and stored, or listed as unsalvageable. | Pack-out inventory with photos, cleaning invoice |
| Tear-out and rebuild | Charred and unsalvageable materials are removed and the structure is rebuilt. | Reconstruction estimate, permits, final invoice |
The IICRC publishes the ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration. Asking whether a company works to it is a reasonable question when you choose one.
The contents pack-out deserves attention. The restoration company's pack-out inventory becomes part of the contents claim, so review it before you sign it. Items it lists as cleanable are cleaned and returned; items that cannot be restored move to your replacement list. United Policyholders notes some items can be cleaned and others need to be replaced; how your policy handles that line is a question for your carrier or agent.
How to document a fire loss for the claim
A fire claim has three files: the building, the contents, and your living costs while you are out of the house. Each needs its own evidence. Start all three in the first week, keep originals in one folder, and send copies through the carrier's document channel so there is a record of what you sent.
| Record | What goes in it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and video | Every room, every side of the house, contents in place, debris piles, damaged items before disposal | The only before-cleanup record; it backs every line on every estimate |
| Fire report details | Fire department name, incident report number, fire marshal or investigator | USFA's booklet includes a page for these; the carrier will ask |
| Contents inventory | Room, item, brand, quantity, age, price, condition, evidence | Personal property is listed item by item. How to build the list |
| Receipts | Every expense related to the fire, from board-up to toothbrushes | USFA and Triple-I both say to save receipts; the carrier may ask for them |
| Living expenses | Hotel or rental, meals beyond your usual, mileage, laundry, storage | Triple-I says to keep records of your expenses if you live elsewhere during repairs. How living expenses are tracked |
| Contact log | Date, name, phone number, what was said | Triple-I advises recording the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to |
How a fire damage insurance claim moves
A fire damage insurance claim usually runs on two tracks at once. The building track goes from inspection to estimate to repair. The contents track goes from inventory to pricing to payment. Living expenses run alongside both. Knowing which track a question belongs to keeps the claim from stalling.
- Report and first contact. You report the claim and an adjuster is assigned. Triple-I describes the adjuster as a person professionally trained to assess the damage. Have the claim number, the fire report details and the restoration company's contact ready.
- Emergency work proceeds. Board-up, drying and contents pack-out happen while you wait. Triple-I advises taking reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage and holding off on extensive permanent repairs until the adjuster has assessed the damage.
- Inspection. The adjuster walks the building. Ask that every smoke-affected room, the attic and the duct system be seen, not only the burned area. United Policyholders notes it is rarely enough to have a serious loss evaluated only by the insurer's adjuster.
- The building estimate. A line-item estimate for cleaning and reconstruction. Compare it room by room with the restoration company's scope. What to do when it's short.
- The contents claim. Your inventory and the pack-out list are priced item by item. Triple-I notes some companies may require a signed proof of loss form. What a proof of loss is.
- Payments. Triple-I says the first check is often an advance, that dwelling and contents damage generally come as two separate checks, and that a repair check on a mortgaged home is generally made out to you and the lender.
| Building track | Contents track | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes the numbers | The adjuster's estimate, compared with the restoration company's scope | Your inventory, plus the restoration company's pack-out list |
| What supports it | Photos, moisture logs, cleaning and rebuild scope | Photos, receipts, purchase history, the items themselves |
| Usual questions | Rooms the adjuster didn't see, cleaning vs replacement, matching finishes | Missing items, age and condition, cleanable vs unsalvageable |
| Depreciation | Often held back until repairs are done | Often held back until items are replaced |
Policies treat depreciation in different ways; how yours treats it is a question for your carrier or agent. How recoverable depreciation works.
The mistakes that thin out fire claims
Most shortfalls on fire claims come from evidence that was never gathered, not from the carrier's math. Cleaning before photos, inspecting only the burned room, and losing track of receipts are the common causes. Each one is avoidable in the first week if you know to watch for it.
- Cleaning before documenting. Once soot is wiped, the record of where it was is gone.
- Scoping only the burned room. Smoke-affected rooms, the attic, the ducts and contents in closed closets belong in the inspection.
- Running the HVAC. It can push residue into clean rooms. Ask before turning it on.
- Signing a pack-out or rebuild contract you haven't read. Check what it says about scope and payment before you sign.
- Cashing a check without reading it. Note whether it is an advance, which track it belongs to, and whose names are on it.
- Letting the file go quiet. Contents claims take time. Set a weekly reminder to check status and send what is still missing.
For contractors
Fire losses carry long scopes: soot cleaning by surface, deodorization, duct cleaning, pack-out and storage, then reconstruction. Those are the lines adjusters trim. restoration.claims writes the independent estimate from your photos, sketch and logs, and supplements priced on what they recover.
Questions people ask
When can I go back into my house after a fire?
Only when the fire department says it is safe. USFA warns that floors and walls may not be as safe as they look, so go in carefully. Do not turn the utilities back on yourself.
Should I clean up the soot myself?
Ask the carrier and the restoration company before you do. The cleaning method depends on the surface and the residue, and the wrong one can set stains and odor. USFA warns that soot may contain things that could make you sick.
Is smoke damage in rooms that didn't burn part of the claim?
Policies treat smoke damage in different ways; how yours treats it is a question for your carrier or agent. What you control is the evidence. Photograph every affected room before cleaning and ask that the adjuster inspect them all.
What should I keep receipts for after a fire?
Everything you spend because of the fire: board-up, hotel, meals, clothes, toiletries, storage and mileage. USFA says the insurance company may need them later. Keep them in one folder and log each one.
Why is the first insurance check smaller than the estimate?
Triple-I notes the first check is often an advance, and depreciation is commonly held back until repairs or replacements are done. Ask the adjuster in writing what each check is for. How your policy handles depreciation is a question for your carrier or agent.