What to do after a house fire, step by step

The first priority is people. Make sure everyone who lives in the house, including pets, is accounted for, and get medical care for anyone who breathed smoke, was burned or feels unwell. Smoke inhalation can cause symptoms that appear hours later, so take coughing, headaches, confusion or shortness of breath seriously.

Do not go back into the house until the fire department tells you it is safe. Fire can rekindle in hidden spaces, floors and ceilings can be weakened, and the air can still be harmful. Ask the fire officer whether utilities were shut off and whether you may enter briefly to retrieve essentials such as medicines, glasses, documents and phones.

If you cannot stay in the house, arrange somewhere to sleep with family or friends, or ask the fire department about local disaster relief agencies that help families after home fires. Keep receipts for any hotel, meals and essentials you buy, because many insurance policies reimburse additional living expenses when a home is unlivable.

Read your policy, or ask your insurer for a copy, so you know what is covered: the structure, your belongings, other structures such as fences and garages, and additional living expenses. Ask how the claim process works, who your adjuster is and when they will visit, and whether you should get estimates from contractors for the repairs.

Keep a log of every call, with the date, the person you spoke to and what was said. Keep copies of everything you send. The guide working with your insurance adjuster explains how to prepare for the adjuster's visit.

A burned house is often open to the weather: windows broken, doors forced and holes in the roof. Colorado Springs weather can bring wind, hail, snow and rain on short notice, and every storm can add water damage. Empty houses also attract trespassers. Most policies expect owners to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage, so board-up and tarping is usually one of the first calls.

Smoke and soot cleanup is easy to make worse. Wiping soot with a damp cloth smears it into paint; running the furnace spreads residue through the house; leaving firefighting water in place invites mold. The restoration services overview explains each stage. The safest order is to secure the house, remove water and start drying, then clean smoke and soot with dry methods first, then treat odor.

See smoke damage cleanup, soot removal and water damage from firefighting for how each stage is done. If you are unsure whether it is safe to stay in the house while that happens, read is it safe to stay after a fire.

Fires destroy paperwork: birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, titles, tax records and insurance policies. The U.S. Fire Administration's After the Fire guide lists the agencies that replace common documents. ^[1] Start with what you need soonest, such as identification and insurance papers, and keep a list of what was lost.

Your bank and credit card statements, email receipts and online order histories can help rebuild a list of what you owned. That list becomes the backbone of the contents part of your claim.

A house fire is a traumatic event, even when nobody is hurt. Children may have trouble sleeping or worry about another fire; adults may feel overwhelmed by decisions and paperwork. That is normal. Keep routines where you can, ask for help with practical tasks, and look for support through your community, faith group, employer assistance program or a counselor. The U.S. Fire Administration points people to resources for emotional recovery as well as practical steps.