What to Do After a Fire
Sep 30, 2019
1 min read
After a house fire, it can be hard to know what to do. We’re here to help. This guide can help you on the road to recovery.
1. Make Sure Everyone Is Safe
This is the No. 1 priority. Call the fire department and emergency medical services if needed. Make sure your loved ones, friends and whoever else may be injured is getting the attention they need. Once safety has been assured, you can begin thinking about how to recover and assess the damage from the house fire.
2. Contact Your Insurance Agent
Contact your insurance agent or a claims representative to begin the claims process. If you are in financial need now, you may be able to receive an advance payment. This payment, however, will be deducted from your eventual loss settlement.
3. Find a Place to Stay and Assess Your Needs
No matter the damage, you probably can’t stay in your house after a fire. If staying with family and friends isn’t possible, your insurance agent or claim representative can help you locate temporary housing and other essentials, such as clothing and personal hygiene items. You’ll also want to keep food receipts, as you may be able to receive reimbursement.
4. Secure Your Property and Belongings
To protect your property from further hazard, vandalism or theft, you may want to board the doors and windows. If you have valuable personal property that survived the house fire, move it to a protected area. Depending on the season, you may need to take additional steps, such as winterizing plumbing.
5. Create a List of Damaged Items
After you make a fire damage insurance claim — and if you don’t already have an inventory — start gathering information about your damaged pieces of property. This may include everything from your big-screen TV to an item as small as a watch. Note as many details as you can, such as brand name, purchase price, serial number and a description of each item.
6. Repair or Rebuild
Farm Bureau takes pride in handling claims efficiently and quickly. Once you’ve settled your house fire claim and received your insurance money, it’s time to repair, rebuild or restore your home. Don’t worry. You’ll be back on your feet soon!
Protect Your Home and Belongings with Insurance
Expect the unexpected with insurance. To protect your home for when things don’t go according to plan, contact your local Farm Bureau agent today.