Post-Fire Next Steps – What Now?

11/20/2019 (Permalink)

Logo with fire background

Often times the victims of a fire loss have lost all forms of identification and money. This blog will assist you with the means to understand how you can start putting their lives back together. SERVPRO of Ravenswood’s intention is to provide you with a reference tool to better assist you during such trying times.  We hope this helps!

Take Care of Yourself and Family

Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army.  They will help you find a place to stay and to find food, clothing and medicine.  Make sure that you have a safe place to live temporarily. Get plenty of rest and ask for help. Do no try to do it all alone.

Do Not! Eat, drink or breath in anything that has been near the flames, smoke, soot, or water used to put out the fire.

Help Your Pets

Try to leave pets with family members, friends or a veterinarian temporarily. Keep your pets out of the house until the cleanup is complete to keep them safe.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Contact your insurance agent right away. Your property will have immediate needs such as covering windows, doors and more.  Avoid signing any documents with strangers until after you have spoken to your trusted insurance agent.

Security and Safety

DO NOT enter a damaged property unless the fire department says it is safe to enter. Watch for damage caused by the incident. Roof and floors may be damaged and could fall.  The fire department will make sure the utility services (water, electricity and gas) are safe to use. If they are not safe, firefighters will have your utilities turned off or disconnected before they leave.  DO NOT try to turn them back on by yourself.  Contact your police department to let them know that you will be away from your property.

Finances

Get in touch with your landlord or mortgage lender ASAP. Contact your credit card company to report credit cards that were lost in the incident and request replacements. Save all of your receipts for any month you spend. The receipts may be needed later by the insurance company. You will need the receipts to prove any losses claimed on your tax return.

Handling the Damage

SERVPRO of Ravenswood is a trusted expert in cleaning and restoring your personal items. Whether you or your insurer buys this type of service, be clear on who will pay for it. Be sure to ask for an estimate of cost for work and agree to in writing.

STEPS TO FOLLOW: THE FIRST DAYS

• Contact your insurance agent right away – Don’t sign any papers until you’ve spoken to them first
• Notify utility companies of incident
• Contact your child(ren)’s school of temporary address awareness
• Contact local police departments to let them know your property is temporarily vacant
• Allow SERVPRO of Ravenswood to help you cleanup the mess and make it “Like it never even happened” Call 773-878-5200

QUICK STEP REFERENCE:

• Safely take pictures of the damage
• Ensure your property is secured
• If you rent, contact the owner or landlord right away
• Contact family or friends to let them know you are okay
• Secure emergency accommodations
• Keep all your receipts (for insurance reimbursements)

MULTIPLE INSURANCE CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS

Alfa, 800-964-2532

Allstate, 800-255-7828

American Family, 800-692-6326

Cincinnati, 877-242-2544

Famers, 800-435-7764

Hartford, 877-805-9918

State Farm, 800-732-5246

Nationwide, 800-421-3535

Travelers, 800-252-4633

Liberty Mutual, 844-339-5299

MetLife, 800-854-6011

Safeco, 800-332-3226

USAA, 800-531-8722

Replacing Documents and Records

Driver’s License ~ Birth/Marriage/Death Certificates ~ Debit/Credit Cards ~ Passports ~ Social Security/Medicare Cards ~ Banking Information ~ Titles/Deeds ~ Insurance Policies ~ Prepaid Burial Contract ~ Wills/Testaments ~ Mortgage Papers ~ Medical Records ~ Auto Registration ~ Military Papers (DD-214) ~ Investment Documents