After a House Fire: 7-Step Response Checklist
What to do — and what NOT to touch — after a residential fire so you protect both your safety and your insurance claim.
Full Transcript
After the fire department clears the scene, do not re-enter until a structural assessment is complete. Soot is acidic and will etch metal, glass, and finishes within 48 hours, so emergency board-up and content pack-out should happen the same day. Do not run HVAC. Do not wipe walls. Do not throw anything away. Estate Solutions handles emergency board-up, soot containment, contents inventory, and the full insurance reconstruction.
The Checklist, Step by Step
The transcript above is the short version of the checklist. This written guide walks through it in order: what to do, what not to touch, and what happens next. It is a companion to the recording, not part of it, and it uses only what the transcript and our Fire Damage Restoration page already say.
- Wait for the fire department to clear the scene. Nothing else starts until the fire department has cleared the property.
- Do not re-enter until a structural assessment is complete. A house is not always safe to enter after a fire. Structural integrity, electrical hazards, and airborne particles, including possible asbestos, must be evaluated before re-entry. Estate Solutions conducts a safety assessment and can arrange third-party industrial hygiene testing if needed.
- Secure the house the same day. Emergency board-up and tarping secure the structure against weather and vandalism. Soot is acidic and will etch metal, glass, and finishes within 48 hours, so board-up and the content pack-out should happen the same day.
- Notify your insurance company. Call your carrier to open a claim. Do not try to clean anything before a professional assessment.
- Do not run the HVAC system. This is the first of the three things the transcript says to avoid. Leave the system off until it has been assessed.
- Do not wipe the walls. Soot is acidic, and the surfaces it covers need professional cleaning. Wiping is the second thing to avoid.
- Do not throw anything away. Every damaged item belongs in the contents inventory for your insurance claim, so keep it until it has been documented. This is the third thing to avoid.
Content pack-out and inventory
Pack-out moves your belongings out of the house so they can be cleaned, stored, and listed. The contents inventory is the record of every damaged item. It sits next to the structural documentation, so the adjuster can see the contents and the structure separately.
Smoke odor
Smoke odor is treated with a combination of HEPA air scrubbers, thermal fogging, ozone treatment, and hydroxyl generators. Simply painting over it does not work; professional equipment is required.
Cleanup versus restoration
Fire damage cleanup is the emergency and cleaning phase: board-up, soot and smoke removal, and odor treatment. Fire and smoke restoration includes that cleanup plus the licensed rebuild of damaged finishes, such as framing, drywall, electrical, flooring, and paint.
Insurance
Fire is a covered peril under most standard homeowners policies, and your carrier makes the final coverage decision. We document all of the damage, structural and contents, bill your carrier directly, and take part in adjuster meetings so nothing is missed.
How long it takes
Timelines depend on scope; you'll get a written schedule with your estimate.
What Estate Solutions handles
Emergency board-up, soot containment, the contents inventory, and the full insurance reconstruction, from our Douglasville office at 5493 Westmoreland Plaza, C-100, Douglasville, GA 30134. Georgia license #RBQA006428.
The checklist at a glance
Wait for the fire department to clear the scene. Stay out until a structural assessment is complete. Secure the house with board-up and tarping, and start the content pack-out, the same day. Notify your insurance company. Then the three things to avoid: do not run the HVAC system, do not wipe the walls, and do not throw anything away.
What insurance-ready means after a fire
Board-up and soot and smoke scope photos, documentation that keeps contents and structure separate, and rebuild notes, so an adjuster can follow the whole process from the first day.
Smoke cleanup pages
Smoke odor and soot from a fire stay with the fire restoration process. We also have dedicated smoke cleanup pages for Atlanta, Kennesaw, and Acworth.
Where we work
We serve Metro Atlanta, including Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Douglas, Gwinnett, and Cherokee counties, plus Clayton, Fayette, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties. Call to confirm coverage for your address.
Getting started
Call (404) 913-3030 once the fire department has cleared the scene. The Fire Damage Restoration page linked below covers smoke and soot cleanup and the rebuild in more detail.
Need help right now?
24/7 emergency response across Metro Atlanta.