Fire Damage Restoration

Before taking any action, prioritize safety for yourself and your family & pets or in the case of a business your staff & employees and give first aid where needed. Make sure everyone is a safe distance away from the structure and call 911 Emergency Services to get help. If it is winter then go to the nearest shelter or home for help and be sure to keep track of your pets as they will be scared too! Remember to GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 9-1-1.

Once everyone is safe and accounted for, call ExactRecon, your local fire restoration company so we can be on the scene with the emergency responders. Avoid contacting your insurance company directly and trust our experts to handle this on your behalf. We will communicate with the insurance company and meet with the inspector to explain the damage accurately, increasing the likelihood of an approved claim. Additionally we will help you with securing the property which is a requirement for many insurance companies, assessing and documenting the damage including taking photos and video of everything, recovering personal items that are not damaged, creating an inventory of all of your possessions that were damaged or lost in the fire, cleaning all salvageable items like clothing, furniture, and the property itself and repairs and restoration to your home or business including rebuilding.

No matter how small a fire is, it is likely there is smoke & fume damage not to mention water damage from the fire department, making it unsafe to stay there. If it is decided that the structure is not safe to stay in then let the local police station know that it will be vacant so they can keep an eye on the property. In some cases your insurance company will pay for temporary housing but depending on your circumstances it may be easiest to call family or friends first so you have time to make arrangements for somewhere more long-term until the clean-up process has been completed. Check out our Jackson County Relief Resources and the Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery services for local help.

When fire strikes, your first concern is to get everyone out safely which often times means your important documents. Things like your Drivers License, Passports, Marriage & Birth certificates, Social Security papers, Property titles, Insurance Policies, Wills, Income Tax records, money, credit cards, and more were likely left behind and may have burned up in the fire. You will likely need to replace these items quickly in order to be able to move forward. Take the time to inventory and prioritize what you need and start making plans to replace them.

Depending on the extent of the fire damage you may have to shut off your utilities while the damage is being assessed and repaired and in order to make your property safe during this process. These might include electricity, gas & water. It is important that you do not try to do this yourself and let the professionals disconnect everything until it is safe to turn them back on. Call your local companies and explain the situation and they will help you through this process. You may also want to cancel other non-essential utilities like internet, cable and security monitoring (Ring Doorbells) so you do not continue accruing bills while the fire damage is being repaired. Additionally you should call your Mortgage company or Landlord and find out about any help they can provide and check with an accountant or the IRS about special benefits for people recovering from fire loss.

Your insurance will likely reimburse you for many living expenses incurred during this time. Be sure to keep receipts for meals, hotels, toiletries, clothing and any other living expenses. Purchase a small folder or binder if possible and store them in a safe place so that when the insurance company asks, you have them prepared and ready to hand over and you won’t have to worry about