What to Do After a House Fire (Checklist)
Quick answer: Stay out until the fire department says the house is safe. Then call your insurer, find somewhere to stay, and secure the house against weather and entry. Start a log of every call and keep every receipt. Soot and the water used to fight the fire both do more damage the longer they sit.
The first 24 hours
- Wait for the all-clear. Don’t go back in until the fire department says the structure is safe. Hidden embers can rekindle, and floors and ceilings can be weaker than they look.
- Leave the utilities alone. Firefighters often shut off power, gas and water. Don’t turn them back on yourself; the utility or a licensed tradesperson should check the systems first.
- Call your insurer. Report the fire, ask what your policy pays for temporary housing, and ask whether they want to inspect before anything is removed.
- Find a place to stay. Family, a hotel or disaster relief can cover the first nights. Take medicines, glasses, documents, phone chargers and keys if you are allowed back in briefly.
- Document everything. Photograph and video each room before cleanup starts, including closets, the attic and the outside of the house.
- Secure the house. Board broken windows and doors and tarp roof openings. Most policies expect you to protect the property from further damage.
The first week: a checklist
- Ask the responding fire department how to get a copy of the fire report. Your insurer will want it.
- Tell your mortgage company, or your landlord if you rent.
- Have the police know the house is empty, and forward your mail.
- Start a contents list, room by room, with rough age and cost of each item.
- Keep every receipt for hotels, meals, clothes and supplies; insurers usually need them for living expenses.
- Replace lost documents: driver’s license, Social Security card, passports, bank cards and titles.
- Keep a log of every call: date, name, what was agreed.
- Read your policy’s deadlines for the proof-of-loss form and contents inventory.
What to throw out
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Food exposed to heat, smoke, soot or firefighting water | Toxic fumes and contamination get into packaging, even in the fridge. Throw it out, including canned goods that bulged or got hot. |
| Medicine and cosmetics exposed to heat or smoke | Heat can change how drugs work. Ask a pharmacist about replacements. |
| Burned or melted items | Photograph them for the claim first, then dispose of them as your insurer directs. |
| Mattresses and pillows soaked by hoses | They hold water and smoke odor and rarely come clean. |
Many hard items, such as dishes, metal furniture and some clothing, can be cleaned. Ask before you throw out anything you might claim, because the adjuster may want to see it.
Soot, smoke and water: why speed matters
Soot is acidic. Within days it can etch metal fixtures, yellow plastic and stain grout and paint for good. Wiping it with a damp cloth smears it deeper into porous surfaces. Smoke odor works its way into carpet pad, insulation, ductwork and unfinished wood.
Firefighting water is a second problem. Hoses can put a lot of water into a house, and it runs inside walls and soaks floors in rooms the fire never reached. That part of the loss is handled like any other water damage: it needs extraction and drying before mold starts.
When it needs a professional
A small stovetop flare-up that left light soot on one wall can often be cleaned with a dry soot sponge and good ventilation. Anything bigger is a job for fire damage restoration, which covers board-up, soot and odor removal, drying and rebuilding. That applies when:
- Soot covers rooms away from the fire
- Hoses or sprinklers soaked floors, walls or ceilings
- The smoke smell is still there after airing the house
- The roof, windows or doors are open to the weather
Common questions
Only when the fire department says it is safe. After a small fire that may be the same day. After a large one, the building may need inspection first, and utilities stay off until they are checked.
The owner is responsible for securing the property. Restoration companies and contractors provide board-up and roof tarping, and most policies pay for it as part of the claim.
Often, yes. Washable clothing usually comes clean with specialty laundering. Dry-clean-only fabrics, leather and heavily soaked items need professional cleaning. Throw out anything that was burned.
Most homeowners and renters policies include additional living expenses or loss of use coverage while the home can't be lived in. Limits vary, so ask your insurer and keep receipts.
Cleaning and deodorizing after a small fire can take days. A fire that needs walls, roofing or kitchens rebuilt can take months, depending on the scope and the insurance process.