Insurance Claims and Fire Damage Restoration: Tips for a Smooth Process

Preparing for fire risk is important as we head into the holiday season. Though fires can occur at any point during the year, residential fires increase in winter due to cooking, holiday decorations, candles, and more. Part of preparing for this risk is to brush up on how insurance claims work. If you need to file an insurance claim for fire damage restoration, these steps can streamline the process.

4 Immediate Steps to Take After a Fire

If you experience a household fire, it’s crucial to take the following steps to not only protect yourself and your loved ones but your insurance claim as well:

Ensure Everyone’s Safety and Contact Emergency Services

If a fire breaks out in your home, the first thing you should do is get out and call emergency services. While you may try to put out a small fire with a fire extinguisher, fires often require much more significant attention….and fast.

Though it’s hard, don’t try to grab any household or personal items. Instead, make sure you, your family members, and, if applicable, any pets get outside as soon as possible. If you can, try to shut the doors behind you as you leave, as this will slow the spread of the fire. Once outside, stand as far from the entrance to your home as possible. When emergency services arrive, they will assess the scene, check for any people or pets inside the residence, and use hoses, fans, and other equipment to extinguish the fire.

When it comes to a fire of any kind, it’s important to call 911. Fires can turn deadly fast, and it’s better to err on the side of caution and have a professional there than make any attempts to contain it yourself. Remember: safety first.

Review Your Insurance Policy and Notify Your Insurance Company

Once the fire is out and everyone’s health and safety are in good standing, you’ll want to contact your insurance company. The amount of time you have to notify your insurance company of a fire will vary per company, state, and personal policy, but it’s always recommended that you contact them as soon as possible.

Before you make the call, though, be sure to re-read your insurance policy. Chances are you haven’t read it since you got the policy, so there may be details in there that you’ve forgotten about but may still significantly affect your ability to cover damages. Your insurance policy details the information they need to proceed with your claim. However, you may also find out that your policy doesn’t cover the type of fire that broke out, that you missed the filing deadline, or that you submitted insufficient evidence. All of these can lead to a denial of your claim, leaving you to cover the cost of damages yourself. This is why it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with your policy before filing a claim.

Take Photos and Videos of the Fire Damage

The examples above highlight the extreme importance of documenting the damage in the fire. The best forms of documentation are photos and videos. When taking pictures and video, get as up close to the damage as you can so the insurance company sees the full extent of it.

Be sure to document all household structures, including walls, floors, doors, windows, and ceilings, as well as damaged items, including household furniture, rugs, and decor. The best rule of thumb is: if it is affected by the fire, has smoke damage, or is discolored, take a picture of it.

Be sure to document the outside of your house, including fences, garages, roofing shingles, and landscaping. Depending on your policy, you can cover damage to these areas, as well.

On top of photographic and video evidence, document when the fire broke out, what you were doing or using at the time, when you called 911, when they came out, and when you sought medical care. If you do seek medical care, keep a copy of those receipts and records, too, as they will be useful in your injury claim (which is separate from your household claim).

The more documentation you have, the more your insurance claim will be successful.

Contact a Fire Restoration Service Near You

After documenting the damage, call an experienced fire restoration company near you. You’ll want to hold off on restoration and remediation steps until you’ve reviewed your insurance policy and documented the scene. Otherwise, you could lose crucial evidence.

Upon arrival at your property, your fire restoration team will inspect the damage and ensure it’s safe to enter. If it is, they will then contain the property, so no one else can enter it and, by proxy, possibly get hurt.

Once inside your home, they will work quickly to demolish what’s been damaged, remove smoke-damaged items from the property, and clear out debris to begin working with a clean slate. Fire damage restoration involves many moving parts, including smoke and soot removal, reconstruction, and deodorizing. After a fire, dangerous smoke particles containing benzene and other volatile organic compounds linger, putting your health at significant risk. A specialized fire restoration team knows this risk and will work diligently to remove these spores so you return to a healthy home.

File Your Insurance Claim

The final step in the process is to go ahead and file the insurance claim with your carrier. As previously mentioned, you’ll want to submit this claim with as much photographic and video evidence of the damage as possible, as well as the costs associated with hiring a fire restoration professional to restore your property. Submitting expenses with your insurance claim helps them determine the claim’s true value.

Remember, don’t hesitate to direct questions to our team when filing an insurance claim. We routinely work with insurance companies and can provide insight into what to expect.

The Fire Damage Restoration Process

Earlier, we provided a brief overview of the fire damage restoration process. Here’s what you can expect in greater detail:

Assessment and Mitigation

The first step in the fire damage restoration process is assessing. This assessment aims to determine the damage’s severity and then develop a plan of action to remedy it, including giving the homeowner an estimated completion time.

In addition to this assessment, your fire damage restoration team will mitigate the risk of further damage by turning off the home’s power and disconnecting utilities.

Cleanup and Debris Removal

Next is cleanup and debris removal. After a fire, many items in your house, both personal and structural, will likely be damaged. This includes drywall, ceiling tiles, furniture, and upholstered items. Because of the scope of the damage caused by fires, your team may use everything from dozers to excavators to demolish damaged items.

Once these items have been assessed for damage, they will be removed from the property, giving your fire damage restoration team enough space to begin reconstruction. In addition to removing debris, they will work to remove soot, dirt, and smoke from your walls and the damaged items themselves. If something can be saved, your restoration team will try to do so.

Be sure to document what items have been damaged during this stage of the process, as you’ll need it for your insurance claim.

Structural Repairs and Rebuilding

Once the damaged items, like drywall and other building materials, have been demolished, your team will work to make repairs and rebuild. This usually includes putting up new drywall, replacing floorboards, reconnecting electricity, plumbing, and other pipes, and more.

Rebuilding is often the most timely aspect of the repair process, as it entirely depends on the severity of the damage and how much work must be done to restore your home to its original state. Sometimes, it can take a few weeks, and other times, several months.

Smoke Odor and Air Quality Control

Once the repairs have been made, your team will work to eliminate the smell of smoke. As mentioned above, smoke leaves behind incredibly toxic chemicals that are dangerous to breathe in. To get rid of them, they will use a variety of cleaning methods, including, but not limited to, specialized enzyme cleaners, thermal fogging to reach hard-to-reach areas, and ozone generators to eliminate odors.

Once they’re done, they’ll test out your home’s air quality control by several methods. The most common includes collecting air samples and sending them to a lab for testing. However, depending on the damage, they may also measure the size of the smoke particles to determine their risk to your health.

Final Inspection

The final step is the inspection. During this inspection, your team will ensure that your home’s electrical system is working properly, confirm that cosmetic fixes look good, and ensure that the structural integrity of drywall, flooring, and ceiling is intact.

In addition, your team will ensure that everything has been repaired and replaced per the company’s standards. This highlights the importance of partnering with a trusted fire damage restoration expert who will treat your home like their own.

Partner with a Fire Restoration Expert at BluSky Restoration

At BluSky Restoration, we have years of experience working with homeowners throughout the country who need quality fire damage restoration.

Our team is knowledgeable about the latest industry trends and restoration methods. We are dedicated to helping to restore your home after it’s been damaged by a fire. For comprehensive fire damage restoration services, find a BluSky near you or call us at 800-266-5677.