Take These 9 steps After a Fire

Take These 9 steps After a Fire

According to the U.S. Fire Administration of FEMA, on average 1,000 homes catch fire every day. A home fire can be devastating to a family. Not only can a family lose everything, but there’s the disruption of normal life, possible guilt, and grief; not to mention the possible loss of loved ones.  There is one critical step to take before a fire: have working smoke alarms!  Take these 9 steps after a fire.

On August 23, according to KWWL 7 NEWS, A 22-year-old man has died after firefighters say he was pulled from a house fire.  Naquave Whitlock was taken to a local hospital after he was pulled from the home, but he did not survive. Whitlock’s 20-year-old girlfriend Alize Watson escaped the fire and was treated at the scene.

The fire happened in the 600 block of A Avenue NW in Cedar Rapids shortly before 2 this morning.

Firefighters say a pot had been left unattended on the stove, causing the blaze.

On August 22, The Cedar Rapids Fire Department was called to 282 34th Street Dr. SE — the home of Tim Meggers, his wife, Carrie, and their two daughters — at 6:38 p.m. Sunday when a neighbor reported seeing smoke, according to The Gazette. By the time crews arrived, smoke was filling the house and flames were visible through the windows at the back of the house.

Firefighters entered and encountered fires on the first and second floors. Crews were forced to open up the roof to allow smoke, heat and gases to escape.

Meggers said the damage to the interior of the home — mostly in the kitchen, upstairs bedroom and his daughters’ room — was worse than he was expecting.

Public safety spokesman Greg Buelow said the official cause of the fire was undetermined, but investigators believe it was related to a faulty switch for a ventilation fan in the kitchen.

Take these 9 steps after a fire:

1. Be Safe, Be Smart – It is normal to want to enter the house as quickly as possible to see the damage for yourself and retrieve your valuables. Wait until the professionals tell you it is ok.
2. Know who to call – It is your responsibility to call your insurance agent. This is a priority. Calling your insurance starts all the paperwork to establish a claim. Call relatives. Call the Red Cross who are used to helping families like yours.
3. Check Your Family for Shock – a fire is very traumatic. Everyone will process the loss differently. Get immediate help or counseling if needed.
4. Establish a home base – Try to get back to a normal routine as quickly as possible. You will need temporary housing, clothing, basic bathroom items, medicines, school clothes for children, etc. Be sure to document everything to be reimbursed by your insurance company. You may even need to ask for a draw on your policy for the basics.
5. Get a copy of the fire report – A fire report will discuss where in the house the fire occurred, the time of the incident, the date of the incident and the incident number if it comes through a fire department.
6. Secure the property – the insurance company will require this.
7. Keep track of all your expenses and correspondence regarding your loss. A three ring binder is a handy way to document the process.
8. Coordinate with your insurance company the work needed to restore your home from fire, smoke and water damage.
9. Many people after experiencing a fire decide not to live in the house again. They take the cash from the insurance company and move on. However city ordinances, for safety reasons, require something be done with the house; either repaired or torn down. Check with Harmony Property Solutions, LLC a professional real estate investor. We may be interested in buying the burnt house, repairing and selling it.

Harmony Property Solutions, LLC is here to help homeowners out of any kind of distressed situation.  As investors, we are in business to make a modest profit on any deal, however we can help homeowners out of just about any situation, no matter what!  There are no fees, upfront costs, commissions, or anything else.  Just the simple honest truth about your home and how we can help you sell it fast to resolve any situation.

Harmony Property Solutions, LLC is part of a nationwide group of thousands of investors who are helping tens of thousands of homeowners every year.  We may not be the “traditional” route, but we CAN help and we can do it quickly!

Give us a call today at 319-343-6773 to let us know what YOU need help with!