What Homeowners Should Do After a House Fire

What Homeowners Should Do After a House Fire

In the year 2020 alone, there were over 1.3 million house fires that caused extensive property damage to many beloved homes. House fires are often caused by electrical hazards, lightning, or cooking issues. The majority of house fires are covered by a homeowners’ insurance policy, giving them compensation for any repairs or restorations needed after a fire destroys your home. If you have suffered from a house fire, there are a few steps you need to take right away.

Make Safety the First Priority

Anytime you are dealing with damage to your home, you need to prioritize your safety.  If there is still water rushing into your home, you need to get you and your family to safety first.  This may require you to leave the house and get to higher ground, and you should do this if it will prevent injury or even loss of life. 

Turn Off Your Power

When you have suffered from flooding in your home, you need to first turn off the power to that area of your home.  By doing this, you can prevent damages to your electronics, and you also prevent electrocution when you go to clean up the area.  If you have live wires that are in the water, you can be electrocuted by just walking through the water.

Stop the Water Source

If you are suffering from flooding because of an overflowing bathtub, leaky faucet, or broken pipe, you need to stop the water source.  Turn off the water lines in your home or try to cut off the water to that place in your home.  This will prevent any additional buildup, which will give you a chance to start cleaning up and drying the affected area.

Make Sure the Home is Structurally Sound

If you have suffered from extensive flooding due to a storm, you need to check to make sure the house is structurally safe before you go back into the home.  Look for any sagging walls, warped foundation, cracks in the structure, or rushing water still entering the property.  These are all indications that you may want to have your home assessed by a professional before entering.  It can save your home from collapse.

Call Your Insurance Company

Once the floods have subsided and everyone is safe, you need to contact your insurance carrier to begin filing a property claim.  Because of the nature of the damage, you will be eligible for insurance compensation to make any repairs, replace any lost belongings, and restore any aspects of your home.  Be sure to talk with the insurance company to find out the next steps in the process to filing your property claims in central Florida.

By taking these steps, you can ensure that you are doing everything you need to stay in your insurance company’s favor after a fire. When you file property claims in central Florida, you want to do everything you can to work with your company so the process moves forward and you get full compensation.

To hear about how our team of professional insurance adjusters can help you, contact us today!

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