Let’s be real, no matter how brave you are, no one likes to think about the possibility of a fire in their home. Bear in mind that burning flames can destroy your home within minutes and your lifestyle forever if not dealt with professionally. Here is a complete guide on how to assess your home for fire damage while you wait for the fire restoration team of STOP Restoration of Spokane to arrive.

Look Out for Structural Damage

The first step of your fire damage assessment is to analyze whether your home is safe to enter or not while standing outside of your home. While doing so, look for broken or damaged gas lines, loose power lines, missing support beams, and foundation cracks. Remember that the damage on the outside can indicate a serious underlying problem. If you are in any way uncertain, do not enter the structure.

Tip: If the doors are damaged, do not force them open. Instead, wait for the fire restoration team.

Check Major Systems and Utilities

In order to check whether the telephones are working or not, hang all the phones in your home and then pick up one just to listen for a dial tone. If the phone is working, you will get a dial tone. In case there is no dial tone, unplug all the phones and then re-plug just one to check whether the phone is broken or the service is out. If it isn’t working this time as well, contact your telephone service provider.

The next most important thing to analyze on your fire damage assessment list is the heating, plumbing, and electric system of your home. If you smell hot insulation or see broken, frayed wires or sparks, turn off the main fuse immediately. Moreover, if there is a pool of water around your property and the fuse box, use a dry wooden stick to turn it off. In case you are unable to do so, sit back and wait for the professionals. Coming to the drainage and sanitation system of your home, if the sewage lines are damaged, make sure that you avoid using toilets, showers, and sinks.

Check Household Items

Little do people know household items like cleaning products, when burned, can cause toxic fumes. This is precisely why it is advised to stay away from the storage room. Furthermore, you should throw away any beverage, medicine, and food that is exposed to heat, soot, or smoke.

Don’t Forget!

When dealing with the aftermath of fire damage, make sure to:

• Keep away from dangling or loose power lines. If you see them, contact the power company immediately.
• Stay out of your property if there is water around it.
• Reach out to the team of STOP Restoration of Spokane to get a customized fire restoration plan and get your property back to its original state.
• Contact your insurance company. While doing so, remember not to discard any damaged goods until the inventory has been taken, and make sure to save all the receipts for the money spent on repairing fire damage.

For more information, give us a call or visit our website right away!