If you’ve just experienced a fire, you might be wondering what to do next:

• Follow all safety instructions provided by your local fire department personnel.
• Move pets and kids to a smoke-free environment. Smoke contains carcinogenic gases that can affect their health. Start with a neighbor you trust for immediate shelter, then move them to a temporary home with friends or family until the fire restoration is complete. Learn more about the impact of smoke damage.
• Open all the windows. This will get air moving to push the smoke out of the rooms.
• Make that call – you will need professional help, so before you get too busy, hire a fire remediation specialist who can start work on getting your home or business back to its original condition. Homeowners insurance policies require that policyholders take reasonable steps to “mitigate damages” (from tarping a damaged roof to boarding windows and making sure smoldering is stopped), and Rainbow can also do that for you. Rainbow Restoration provides free estimates, has 30 years of experience, and is available when you need us most.
• Call your homeowners' insurance carrier. All policies require that policyholders report their loss “as soon as reasonably possible.”
• Turn off your home HVAC systems.
• Empty your refrigerator and freezer if there is no power. Once empty, prop the door open to prevent odors from building up inside.
• Inventory the contents of your home. Make a list of all items that need replacing. Take pictures of the damage, too. Because, you will need copies for the insurance company, for your own personal records, and possibly for the fire investigation authorities, we recommend making a digital inventory that can be accessed, anywhere.
• You know it’s time to recover, but where to start? Download our “After the Fire: Cleaning Up” whitepaper to learn more about recovering from a fire – both structural damage and emotional damage.

There are also tasks you do not want to attempt on your own due to the toxic gases or risk of smoldering ash. Fire restoration services have the proper safety equipment to get the work done without the risks.

• Don’t use electrical devices like appliances, stereos, or TVs until the fire restoration service deems them safe.
• Don’t wipe down the walls, wood trim furniture, or any other absorbent surface.
• Don’t sit on or move upholstered furniture.
• Don’t consume any food products, including canned items that were exposed to the extreme heat of the fire.
• Don’t turn on home HVAC systems like the furnace or air conditioner.
• Don’t water your indoor plants until you wipe down the leaves to remove soot.

Related Fire Remediation Services

• Water Damage Restoration
• Mold Removal
• Full-Service Reconstruction
• Window Board-up and Roof Tarp-over