You have experienced one of the worst tragedies in owning property, a FIRE! Managing the first 24 hours of your devastating lost will determine whether or not, you successfully restore your property and belongings quickly and reduce the impact on your health and safety.
Damage from a fire is extensive due to the smoke, soot and water. This is why fire damage insurance claims can be some of the most complex and difficult to settle. YOUR claim advocate team knows how to interpret YOUR policy, complete an accurate estimate of YOUR damaged property and negotiate YOUR insurance claim required to restore YOUR property, business and livelihood. Avoid the complications, delays and underpaid claims that can come after a fire impacts YOUR property. Get the help from an insurance claim advocate who will fight for YOUR best interest, Matrix Claims Services.
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- Contact YOUR insurance agent/company as soon as possible.
•Review YOUR insurance policy coverage.
•Do you have Additional Living Expense coverage, ALE, for YOUR temporary living expenses.
•How to handle the remediation process, be sure the insurance company provides approval prior to starting any mitigation work.
•Timeline to manage insurance claim, what YOUR expectations should be and required steps moving forward.
•If you lost important documents in the fire, like driver’s license, passport, birth certificates, deeds, and title, etc, you’ll have to replace them immediately. Some of these documents are necessary for the claim. Ask your insurance agent which documents are needed. - Notify the landlord or mortgage lender, they need to be informed regarding the building.
- Contact the Fire department/Fire Marshall. Request a copy of the fire report:
•The fire report provides critical details regarding the fire and possible cause of the fire.
•Information such as; date and time, location, possible cause of fire, amount of water used.
•Contact the Fire department/Fire Marshall for access to YOUR property.
Note: Remember, always wear protective mask after a fire, lingering smoke and soot left behind can be extremely hazardous. - Hire a qualified contractor to board up broken windows, open doors, holes in the roof and other open areas in order to prevent additional damage from vandalism, bad weather or theft.
- Hire a qualified Fire Mitigation company that specializes in mitigating fire.
- Contact YOUR insurance agent/company as soon as possible.
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- Take pictures of the fire damage as soon as possible. You cannot take enough photos of the damaged areas immediately after the fire. Also include photos of the areas not exposed to the fire, these areas may have smoke and/or soot damage.
- The fire department has probably turned off the power, be sure the electrical panel is turned off and remains off until an electrician has checked the electrical panel and wiring prior to using any electrical service.
- HVAC system(s) – Turn off all central and/or portable air or heating systems. Air movement circulating throughout the building will rapidly spread soot. Change the air filter on your furnace prior to using.
- Open windows for ventilation if weather permits.
- Do not spread the soot. In fact, do not wash, paint, or attempt to clean residue. Spreading the residue makes it harder to clean and could potentially result in further damage.
- Turning appliances off and open appliance doors will help prevent mold and mildew. If the appliance was anywhere near the fire, it should be examined by a trained technician before it is used.
- Do not use ceiling lights or fans if the ceiling is wet. A short circuit could result and a ceiling fan will spread soot into other rooms.
- Send receipts for any necessary temporary repairs made to your insurance carrier for reimbursement purposes.
- Homeowners insurance usually includes contents coverage, which means your policy will also cover the replacement, based upon your policy, of items destroyed in the fire. To ensure that all fire damaged content is accounted for, the insurance company requires a spreadsheet/list of your damaged belongings. Be sure to take pictures of the item(s) and any possible serial numbers and/or product brand identification/labels and quantity. If possible, include the date of purchase, price, a description of the items on the inventory, and online web address of where the item can be purchased.
- Empty any refrigerator and freezer contents. Inventory contents, identify each item description and cost, take pictures of all item(s) that are being disposed/trashed.
- Dispose of open food containers and contaminated foods, as well as food items and canned foods that were exposed to the heat; recorded contents description and cost, take more pictures.
- Provide your inventory list and pictures to the insurance adjuster. Keep a copy of all records provided to the insurance company or adjuster. NOTE: All damaged content should be reviewed and approved in writing by the insurance adjuster prior to removal/disposal.
Rebuilding your property after a fire can be very costly. Your insurance policy should provide replacement cost or actual cost for like kind and quality to damaged property. As such, you need to document all the repair and replacement expenses to prove the extent of your loss and recovery costs back to pre-damaged state. If you are “upgrading” damaged property, all upgrades should be estimated separately and expenses recorded as “upgrade”.
Mitigation Process
Mitigation Process
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- Clean the property and move undamaged items from fire impacted areas.
- Secure and protect interior area, board up damaged exterior surfaces.
- Confirm structural stability of walls, floors, ceilings/roof, rafters and joist.
- Initial cleanup, removal of debris, clean up standing water and start structural drying.
- Asses damage
- Salvage items that can be saved – Segregate fire damaged content the from undamaged items. Secure/rent storage space for the things that look good enough to keep and set them up for cleaning. Anything that’s badly burned or soaked in water should be disposed of properly. As you secure and mitigate the damage items on the property, make a list of all damaged items and photograph them for proof. Keep copies of all work provided by contractors and any rental/storage units required.
- Water damage restoration – Walls, floors, ceilings (interior areas) undergo drying and sanitation. Sanitation is vital to prevent any health issues due to water contamination.
- Repair structural damage, replacing damaged electrical systems, plumbing, and HVAC systems, and restoring the property to its pre-fire condition.
- Deep cleaning and deodorizing odor – Fire disasters often leave the property looking dark, stained, and scorched, referred to as soot. This smoke and soot will stick to the walls, carpets, upholstery and usually leaves behind an unpleasant odor.
- Hire a fire remediation service company that has a quality reputation and experience in fire remediation.
- As you secure and mitigate the damage items on the property, make a list of all damaged items and photograph them for proof of damage. All damaged content should be reviewed and approved in writing by the insurance adjuster prior to removal.
- Start to Rebuild
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