The Do’s And Don’ts When Dealing With Fire And Damage Cleanup

We all know that classic holiday song, “The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.” While it is true, fires are very warm and delightful (especially during winter months in Blackfoot), when a fire gets out of control in your home, it can become catastrophic. If you find yourself dealing with a fire emergency, it is important to know how to respond to ensure that you and your family are safe. Here are some general DO’s and DON’Ts to follow when dealing with a house fire.

Fire Damage Cleanup In Blackfoot

DON’TS 

• Do not attempt to put out even small fires by yourself if the flames are not responding to your efforts. Even small fires can grow very quickly, and will easily get out of hand. Do not waste valuable escape time trying to unsuccessfully extinguish a fire on your own; evacuate immediately. 
• Do not enter a burning home under any circumstances. Even after the flames have been extinguished, you should not re-enter the building until a professional has deemed it safe to do so. Fires cause a lot of destruction, and the integrity of the home will more than likely be compromised, making entry unsafe. Gas leaks, smoke in the air, and electrical circuit malfunctions are all other risks that follow after flames have been extinguished, so extreme caution should be used before going back inside.
• Do not try to clean, wipe, or remove any fire or smoke residue from your home on your own. Fire damage cleanup and repair requires necessary components and processes that are completely unique to fire damage. Trying to clean and repair fire damage on your home can actually lead to more damage, so by working with professional fire damage cleanup and restoration companies you ensure that no detail is overlooked, and every issue is addressed.

DO’S

• Have a fire escape plan, and practice it. Getting everyone out of the house is the number one priority when a fire starts, and without a working and practiced escape plan in place, this step becomes much more difficult. All members of the household should know the escape plan for each room, and each room should have two designated exit routes. Then, designated safe meeting places outside of the home must be established so that all members of the household know where to meet.  As soon as the fire starts and alarms alert you, follow the fire escape plan so that everyone can be evacuated quickly and safely.
• Have at least one fire extinguisher accessible in your home. If the fire is small and contained in one area, use the extinguisher to attempt to put it out. However, do not spend too much time attempting to put out a fire that is resisting (more on this to come in the Don’t section). 
• Stay below the smoke when exiting the home. The chemical make-up of smoke can cause serious damage to the brain and lungs. Smoke will kill you before the fire does if too much is inhaled, so stay low.
• Initiate a quick response by first alerting emergency response personnel (firefighters), and then alerting a fire damage restoration crew so that they can begin mitigating damage as soon as the flames are out.
• Let firefighters know the location of the fire, and how many family members are still in the house if not everyone has made it to the designated meeting spot. This will help firefighters drastically increase the odds of getting the fire out quickly and locating family members in time to get them out safely.
• Call Restore Rite. We are available 24/7 for emergency response, and know how to safely clean and restore your home following fire damage. We understand how difficult fire damage is, and we will take the best care of you and your home so you can get your life back to normal as quickly as possible. Attempting to clean up after a fire on your own can be very dangerous, so it is best to leave it to the professionals. So stay warm and cozy this winter, and if you find yourself faced with fire damage, let Restore Rite take care of the cleanup.