Cleaning Up Fire Damage - Helpful Tips

If your home has been the victim of extensive fire damage, your best bet is to hire a professional company to come in and clean up the wreckage. If you are insured, the insurance company should be willing to help cover the restoration costs. If you don't have a policy that will cover this and can't afford it, you'll be forced to handle the clean up responsibilities on your own. They will likely be overwhelming, but what choice do you have? Know from the outset that nothing you do will be able to match what a professional company can do. Getting your property livable again may in fact be impossible on your own, but here are some things you can try.


Wait for Clearance
Do not re-enter your home until the local authorities have given you the go-ahead. Even if the blaze appears to be out, there could be dangerous spots inside your home. Places where the blaze still lives on, underneath the surface. Places where structural destruction from fire damage has made it unsafe to walk. A house after such an event can be a very hazardous place. Wait until you get full clearance before you go inside and start the cleanup process.

Start Salvaging
Go through your house and salvage everything you can. Start with the most valuable items, whether this is from a financial or sentimental standpoint and remove them. If they haven't been damaged, so much the better. If fire damage is an issue (or water destruction, which is often an even bigger problem after the firemen are through with the place), you can work on getting them restored. Tear up your carpets and the padding beneath, as they will almost certainly have to be replaced. If you take a look around and see a lot of furniture, structure, and flooring that has to go, you may think about renting a dumpster to make the haul easier.

Water Removal
This will probably be the biggest part of your job and the most difficult to complete without professional grade tools. Rent the biggest, best water-friendly vacuum systems you can and start sucking up all of the water left by the fire department. You can't begin a healthy restoration without following this step carefully. Mold, mildew, and more will undermine any further attempts to make your home inhabitable. Once you've taken care of the visible water puddles, start using fans (professional grade) to dry the area. Only once everything is dry can you begin rebuilding, re-carpeting, and putting your house back in order.