Three Steps To Prioritize After a Fire

11/1/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial fires in Century City, CA.

Fire Restoration Process

Commercial fires in Century City, CA, can be devastating, and knowing what to do after a building experience a fire can be overwhelming. Here are three essential steps to take to begin the fire restoration process.

1. Call an Insurance Company

After the fire has been put out and everyone is safe, you’ll need to alert an insurance company that a fire has occurred as soon as you can. The faster you get in touch with an insurance claims manager about fire insurance, the more quickly the claim can be processed and fire restoration can begin. The insurance company will need to notify an insurance assessor to carry out an inspection of the damage.

Additionally, start taking inventory of any items that were destroyed during the fire and their value. Avoid disposing of any damaged goods until after you have taken inventory.

2. Don’t Touch the Damage

Resist touching or moving around any damage done by the fire until after the scene has been surveyed by a loss assessor, as this could slow or stall the claims process. Plus, damaged areas may still be extremely dangerous. Roofs, walls and floors have the potential to collapse, and all the soot and dirty water in the area can cause sickness. Even though fires have been put out, they have the potential to start again. Reenter the scene only after the fire department indicates it’s safe to do so.

3. Hire a Board-Up Service

Board-up services are companies that have expertise in cleaning and restoring commercial buildings and other related items after disasters like fires. These companies will secure the building against additional damage, repair damage and even provide cost estimates to repair or replace personal and household items. Additionally, they usually offer smoke cleaning, item storage and property cleaning. Ask your insurance agent who he or she recommends.

Commercial fires in Century City, CA, are distressing. Knowing these three steps ahead of time can help you be prepared in the instance of a fire, speed up the fire restoration process and ensure the property is fully cleaned and restored.