Your Safety After the Fire
- Check with the fire department to make sure your home is safe to enter. Be careful when you go inside – floors and walls may not be as safe as they look.
- The fire department will have to shut off your utilities if they are not safe to use. Do not try to turn them back on by yourself. This could be very dangerous.
- Do not eat, drink, or breathe in anything that has been near the flames, smoke, soot, or water used to put the fire out.
- Do not touch any fire-damaged items. Ask the advice of the fire department, local building officials, your insurance agent, or Burke’s Restoration before starting to clean or make repairs.
Secure Your Property & Pets
- In some cases, you may need to board up openings to secure your property. Burke’s Restoration can help you with rapid-response board and tarp-up service.
- If you leave your home, call the local police department to let them know that the site will be vacant.
- 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 find food, clothing, and medicine.
- If you have pets, try to leave them with a family member, friend, or veterinarian. Keep your pets out of the house until the cleanup is complete to keep them safe.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Fire First Responders
As a fire burns, it moves up, down, and across, growing very fast. Breaking windows and cutting holes in the roof slows the fire’s growth. It also helps get rid of dark smoke that makes it hard for firefighters to see to fight the fire more quickly. In the end, ventilation can help save lives and property.
Firefighters may cut holes in the walls to make sure that the fire is not hidden behind walls and completely out.
In most areas, a fire report is a public document. Ask for it from your fire department or the fire marshal’s office. The fire report will provide you with information your insurance company and other official offices may need.
Contact Your Homeowners Insurance Carrier, Landlord or Mortgage Lender
- If you have insurance, contact your insurance company right away.
- Ask what you should do to keep your home safe until it is repaired.
- Ask who you should talk to about cleaning up your home.
- Talk with them about how to determine the value of your home and its contents.
- Begin saving receipts for any money that you spend related to fire loss. The receipts may be needed later by the insurance company to prove any losses claimed on your income tax.
- If you are not insured, reach out to community groups for aid and assistance.
- Contact your landlord or mortgage company.
- Do not throw any damaged items away until an inventory is complete with photo documentation.
Recover/Replace Documents & Records
You will want to find and, if need be, replace many of the following documents if they were destroyed or lost in the fire:
- Driver’s License & Passport
- Citizenship Papers
- Social Security Cards
- Credit Cards and Checks
- Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates
- Divorce Paperwork
- Wills
- Titles to Deeds
- Medical Insurance Cards
- Medical Records
- Auto Registrations
- Insurance Policies
- Stocks and Bonds
- Military Discharge Papers
- Warranties
- Income Tax Records
- Animal Registration Papers
Fire Damaged Currency Can Be Replaced or Reimbursed
Damaged money may still have value. If half or more is still intact, you can take it to you can get it replaced through your Regional Federal Reserve Bank. If there is not one near you, you can mail it (registered mail – return receipts requested) to:
Department of the Treasury Bureau of Engraving and Printing Office of Currency Standards P.O. Box 37048 Washington, DC 20013.
Rely on Us For Fire Recovery Assistance
After the fire, the cleaning and restoration experts at Burke’s Restoration provide the following services:
- Complete board-up and tarp-over services
- Water mitigation
- Fire and smoke damage mitigation
- Complete restoration services
- Contents pack-out
Whether you or your insurer is responsible for engaging a company to provide these services, take care to know up front who or what entity will be covering costs after the fire. Obtain a written estimate of the cost for the work, and only agree to it in writing.
More Resources For You After a Fire Disaster:
Inform your local police department about your absence from home. In certain situations, it may be necessary to secure openings to prevent unauthorized access when you're away. Burke’s Restoration provides a quick-response board-up and tarp-over services, along with comprehensive restoration after the fire.
4.98 out of 93 reviews
Post Falls, ID
Posted on
Post Falls, ID
Posted on
Post Falls, ID
Posted on
Other pages you may be interested in...
What Customers Say About Burke's Restoration
“Bret was very professional, he explained everything he was going to do before he did it. He was on time everyday, and answered all my questions. He made sure the all any moisture was had dried and got the room ready for new flooring. Thank you Bret for all your hard work!!”
“Cyndy Miller is the most amazing lady. After we lost our house through a fire, Cyndy was there like an angel. Cyndy was so passionate and caring; personable, yet professional. Although we can't wait to move back into our home, it will be bitter-sweet realizing that she won't be around. My wife and I will certainly miss her.”
“Burke’s DKI came to the rescue when my kitchen suffered water damage. They were efficient, knowledgeable, professional and had the proper tools to do the best job. I would definitely recommend Burke’s DKI to anyone faced with damage cleanup. Thanks to Derek, Josh and Cobe!”
Awards and Affiliations
- Airway Heights
- Athol
- Avery
- Bayview
- Belmont
- Blanchard
- Calder
- Careywood
- Cataldo
- Chattaroy
- Cheney
- Clark Fork
- Clarkia
- Cocolalla
- Coeur d'Alene
- Colbert
- Colburn
- Coolin
- Deer Park
- Dover
- Eddyville
- Elk
- Fairchild AFB
- Fairfield
- Fernwood
- Four Lakes
- Freeman
- Greenacres
- Harrington
- Harrison
- Hayden
- Hayden Lake
- Hope
- Kellogg
- Kingston
- Kootenai
- Laclede
- Latah
- Liberty Lake
- Marshall
- Mead
- Medical Lake
- Medimont
- Mica
- Mullan
- Murray
- Newman Lake
- Newport
- Nine Mile Falls
- Nordman
- Oldtown
- Osburn
- Otis Orchards
- Pinehurst
- Plummer
- Ponderay
- Post Falls
- Priest River
- Rathdrum
- Rockford
- Sagle
- Saint John
- Saint Maries
- Sandpoint
- Santa
- Sesmet
- Silverton
- Smelterville
- Spangle
- Spirit Lake
- Spokane
- Spokane Valley
- Telford
- Tensed
- Valleyford
- Veradale
- Wallace
- Waverly
- Worley
